More than a decade ago, because of the phenomenal growth in the power of computer simulations, The University of Georgia formed the first institutional unit devoted to the use of simulations in research and teaching: The Center for Simulational Physics. As the simulations community expanded further, we sensed a need for a meeting place for both experienced simulators and neophytes to discuss new techniques and recent results in an environment which promoted extended discussion. As a consequence, the Center for Sim ulational Physics established an annual workshop on Recent Developments in Computer Simulation Studies in Condensed Matter Physics. This year's workshop was the twelfth in this series. It was held at The University of Geor gia, March 8-12, 1999 as an unofficial satellite conference to the Centennial Meeting of the American Physical Society in Atlanta, GA. The continued interest shown by the scientific community demonstrates quite clearly the useful purpose which the series has served. These proceedings provide a "sta tus report" on a number of important topics. This volume is published with the goal of timely dissemination of the material to a wider audience. We wish to offer special thanks to IBM Corporation for their generous support of this year's workshop. This volume contains both invited papers and contributed presentations on problems in both classical and quantum condensed matter physics. We hope that each reader will benefit from specialized results as well as profit from exposure to new algorithms, methods of analysis, and conceptual devel opments.

Over fifteen years ago, because of the tremendous increase in the power and utility of computer simulations, The University of Georgia formed the first institutional unit devoted to the use of simulations in research and teach ing: The Center for Simulational Physics. As the international simulations community expanded further, we sensed a need for a meeting place for both experienced simulators and neophytes to discuss new techniques and recent results in an environment which promoted lively discussion. As a consequence, the Center for Simulational Physics established an annual workshop on Re cent Developments in Computer Simulation Studies in Condensed Matter Physics. This year's workshop was the fifteenth in this series, and the con tinued interest shown by the scientific community demonstrates quite clearly the useful purpose that these meetings have served. The latest workshop was held at The University of Georgia, March 11-15, 2002, and these proceedings provide a "status report" on a number of important topics. This volume is published with the goal of timely dissemination of the material to a wider audience. We wish to offer a special thanks to IBM Corporation and to the National Science Foundation for partial support of this year's workshop. This volume contains both invited papers and contributed presentations on problems in both classical and quantum condensed matter physics. We hope that each reader will benefit from specialized results as well as profit from exposure to new algorithms, methods of analysis, and conceptual devel opments. Athens, GA, USA D. P.

Over the last 30 years, Professor David P. Landau's trailblazing research achievements and influential leadership have helped establish computer sim ulation as a powerful and incisive mode of scientific investigation, now on a par in the physical sciences with experimental and theoretical research. This year, we were very pleased to organize a special one-day symposium honor ing the 60th birthday of our distinguished colleague and friend. This event was held in conjunction with and immediately following the annual computer simulations workshop that Professor Landau founded 14 years ago. Many of the papers presented at this honorary symposium are integrated into this pro ceedings volume, and the accompanying photograph of participants serves to commemorate this very special event. This volume contains both invited papers and contributed presentations on problems in both classical and quantum condensed matter physics. We hope that each reader will benefit from specialized results as well as profit from exposure to new algorithms, methods of analysis, and conceptual devel opments.

Almost fifteen years ago, because of the phenomenal growth in the power of computer simulations, The University of Georgia formed the first institu tional unit devoted to the use of simulations in research and teaching: The Center for Simulational Physics. As the international simulations community expanded further, we sensed a need for a meeting place for both experi enced simulators and neophytes to discuss new techniques and recent results in an environment which promoted extended discussion. As a consequence, the Center for Simulational Physics established an annual workshop on Re cent Developments in Computer Simulation Studies in Condensed Matter Physics. This year's workshop was the thirteenth in this series, and the con tinued interest shown by the scientific community demonstrates quite clearly the useful purpose that these meetings have served. The latest workshop was held at The University of Georgia, February 21-25, 2000, and these proceed ings provide a "status report" on a number of important topics. This volume is published with the goal of timely dissemination of the material to a wider audience. We wish to offer a special thanks to the IBM Corporation for its generous support of this year's workshop. We also acknowledge the Donors of the Petroleum Research Fund, administered by the American Chemical Society, and the National Science Foundation for partial support. This volume contains both invited papers and contributed presentations on problems in both classical and quantum condensed matter physics.

This status report features the most recent developments in the field, spanning a wide range of topical areas in the computer simulation of condensed matter/materials physics. Both established and new topics are included, ranging from the statistical mechanics of classical magnetic spin models to electronic structure calculations, quantum simulations, and simulations of soft condensed matter.

This status report features the most recent developments in the field, spanning a wide range of topical areas in the computer simulation of condensed matter/materials physics. Highlights of this volume include various aspects of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, studies of properties of real materials using both classical model simulations and electronic structure calculations, and the use of computer simulation in teaching.

Narrow gap semiconductors have provided an exciting field of research and show a number of extreme physical and material characteristics. They are the established material systems for infrared detectors and emitters, and with new developments in the technology these materials are emerging as a viable route to high speed, low power electronics. New kinds of narrow gap semiconductor, such as graphene and other composite nanocrystals, are also providing renewed interest in the underlying physics. The Thirteenth International Conference on Narrow Gap Semiconductors (NGS-13) was held at the University of Surrey, Guildford, UK in July 2007. The conference brought together experts and young scientists to discuss the latest findings and developments in the field. This book contains the invited and contributed papers which were presented at this meeting and serves to provide a broad overview of the current worldwide activities in narrow gap semiconductor research. The subjects covered are theoretical and material physics of narrow gap semiconductors and quantum heterostructures, spin related phenomenon including carrier dynamics and magnetotransport, carbon nanotubes and graphene as novel narrow gap material, as well as device physics including transistors, mid and far-infrared lasers and detectors.

The field of "Lasers in the Conservation of Artworks" is gaining importance and restorers and laser scientists now work together to develop new applications. This book presents a fascinating and valuable application of laser technology. The proceedings of the 2005 congress addresses scientists, conservator-restorers, companies, architects, decision-makers and other experts involved in conservation projects or in the research of new laser equipment.

This volume contains invited and contributed papers presented at the conference on ‘Microscopy of Semiconducting Materials’ held at the University of Cambridge on 2-5 April 2007. The event was organised under the auspices of the Electron Microscopy and Analysis Group of the Institute of Physics, the Royal Microscopical Society and the Materials Research Society. This international conference was the fifteenth in the series that focuses on the most recent world-wide advances in semiconductor studies carried out by all forms of microscopy and it attracted delegates from more than 20 countries. With the relentless evolution of advanced electronic devices into ever smaller nanoscale structures, the problem relating to the means by which device features can be visualised on this scale becomes more acute. This applies not only to the imaging of the general form of layers that may be present but also to the determination of composition and doping variations that are employed. In view of this scenario, the vital importance of transmission and scanning electron microscopy, together with X-ray and scanning probe approaches can immediately be seen. The conference featured developments in high resolution microscopy and nanoanalysis, including the exploitation of recently introduced aberration-corrected electron microscopes. All associated imaging and analytical techniques were demonstrated in studies including those of self-organised and quantum domain structures. Many analytical techniques based upon scanning probe microscopies were also much in evidence, together with more general applications of X-ray diffraction methods.