Workshop Overview
Atomistic or molecular simulations of materials have the potential to play a key role in the development of innovative technology to address many problems the world is currently facing (including climate change, energy generation and distribution, and terrorism). In order to model the large numbers of atoms required for many applications, and to be able to study their dynamics over reasonable time scales, it is generally necessary to develop approximate models of interatomic bonding, referred to as "interatomic potentials" or "interatomic models". Once such a model is at hand, one can theoretically use it to predict almost any mechanical property, thermal property or behavior of the element (or elements) it purports to describe.

This short course will introduce participants to atomistic simulation techniques and to a current international effort to establish the "Knowledgebase of Interatomic Models," (KIM), which attempts to address some of the practical limitations of this approach. The KIM project (http://openKIM.org) has the following main objectives: (1) development of an online resource for standardized testing, long-term warehousing and easy retrieval of interatomic potentials and data. This includes the development of application programming interface (API) standards for coupling simulation codes and interatomic potential subroutines written in different languages; and (2) development of a quantitative theory of interatomic potential transferability providing rigorous criteria for selecting potentials for given applications and error bounds on results. The course will include theoretical lectures as well as hands-on experience performing atomistic simulations and learning about the KIM API.

Participants in the course will receive a copy of the book Modeling Materials: Continuum, Atomistic and Multiscale Techniques by Ellad B. Tadmor and Ronald E. Miller (Cambridge University Press, 2011). For more information, visit http://www.modelingmaterials.org

Course Presenters

• Prof. Ellad Tadmor, Prof. Ryan Elliott and Dr. Valeriu Smirichinski, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, University of Minnesota, USA


• Prof. Ronald Miller, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Carleton University, Canada

Date and Time:
Sunday, March 11, 2012 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Course Tuition:
Member Fee: $525
Nonmember Fee: $575
Late Member Fee: $600
Late Nonmember Fee: $650
Cancellation Fee: $50

How to Register:
Meeting registrants may sign up for this course using the online registration form or register on-site at the registration desk.