Mon, 07 May 2007
17:00
17:00
L1
Energy scaling and domain branching in type-I superconductors
Sergio Conti
(Duisburg)
Abstract
The intermediate state of a type-I superconductor is a classical example of
energy-driven pattern-formation, first studied by Landau in 1937. Mathematically
this can be modeled by a nonconvex functional with a singular perturbation,
which physically represents the surface energy.
In this talk I shall discuss how a combination of interpolation inequalities
and explicit constructions permits to determine the scaling of the minimal
energy with respect to the relevant material parameters, and therefore to
predict a phase diagram for the observed microstructure. This talk is mainly
based on joint work with Rustum Choksi, Robert V. Kohn, and Felix Otto.