Speaker: Valerie R. Coffman, Information Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
Title: OOF: An Image-Based Finite Element Solver for Materials Science

Abstract: The core of materials science lies in understanding the relationship between the microstructure of materials and their overall properties. Recent advances in experimental techniques (micro CT scans, automated serial sectioning, electron back-scatter diffraction, synchrotron radiation x-rays) have made it possible to characterize the full, 3D structure of real materials. Such new experimental techniques have created a need for software tools that can model the response of these materials under various kinds of loads. OOF (Object Oriented Finite Elements) is a desktop software application for studying the relationship between the microstructure of a material and its overall mechanical, electromagnetic, or thermal properties using finite element models based on real or simulated micrographs. OOF provides methods for segmenting images, creating meshes of complex geometries, solving PDE’s using finite element models, and visualizing 3D results. We discuss the challenges involved in implementing OOF and show examples of possible applications.

Time: Friday, Nov. 13, 2009, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Place: Science and Tech I, Room 242

Department of Mathematical Sciences
George Mason University
4400 University Drive, MS 3F2
Fairfax, VA 22030-4444
http://math.gmu.edu/
Tel. 703-993-1460, Fax. 703-993-1491