This three-year award for U.S.-France cooperative research involves William E. Fitzgibbon of the University of Houston, Jeffrey J. Morgan of Texas A&M University, Pierre Fabrie of the University of Bordeaux I, and Michel Langlais of the University of Bordeaux II. The project addresses mathematical analysis of systems of reaction diffusion equations that exhibit a high degree of spatial heterogeneity. The investigators propose to study systems involving diffusive fluid transport and those which feature diffusion along concentration gradients. Systems of this nature arise in a variety of situations in engineering, chemistry, biology, and physics, specifically, as realistic models for processes in epidemiology, environmental chemistry and biorestoration. The US researchers bring to this collaboration expertise in reaction-diffusion models and their generalizations. This is complemented by French expertise in mathematical biology and analytical and computational work in spatial heterogeneity.
This award represents the US side of a joint proposal to the NSF and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). NSF will cover the expenses of visits of members of the US research group and graduate students. The CNRS will support the visits of French researchers to the United States.
