This conference has been built upon a series of International Symposia entitled "Atomic Cluster Collisions: structure and dynamics from the nuclear to the biological scale" (ISACC). The premier ISACC started in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2003. The second ISACC was held at the GSI, Darmstadt, Germany in 2007. The third ISACC returned to St. Petersburg, Russia in 2008. In 2009 the symposium took place in Ann Arbor, in 2011 it was held in Berlin, Germany. The sixth ISACC was held in 2013 in Wuhan-Chongqing, China. All but one (in 2008) ISACC meetings were satellites of the International Conferences on Photonic, Electronic and Atomic Collisions (ICPEAC).
Initially the ISACC symposium was mainly focused on dynamics of atomic clusters, especially in atomic cluster collisions, but since then its scope has been widened significantly to include dynamics of nanosystems, bio-molecules, and macromolecules with the emphasis on the similarity of numerous essential clustering phenomena arising in different branches of physics, chemistry, and biology. At some stage it has become clear that there is a need for an interdisciplinary conference covering a broad range of topics than just atomic cluster collisions. Therefore, in 2010 it was decided to launch a new conference series under the title "Dynamics of Systems on the Nanoscale". The first DySoN Conference took place in Rome, Italy in 2010 followed by DySoN 2012 held in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The DySoN 2014 Conference will promote the growth and exchange of scientific information on the structure formation and dynamics of animate and inanimate matter on the nanometer scale. There are many examples of complex many-body systems of micro- and nanometer scale size exhibiting unique features, properties and functions. These systems may have very different natures and origins, e.g., atomic and molecular clusters, nanoobjects, ensembles of nanoparticles, nanostructures, biomolecules, biomolecular and mesoscopic systems. A detailed understanding of the structure and dynamics of these systems on the nanometer scale is a difficult and fundamental task, the solution of which is necessary in numerous applications of nano- and bio- technology, material science and medicine.
Although mesoscopic, nano- and biomolecular systems differ in their nature and origin, a number of fundamental problems are common to all of them: What are the underlying principles of self-organization and self-assembly of matter at the micro- and nano-scale? Are these principles classical or quantum? How does function emerge at the nano-and the meso-scale in systems with different origins? What criteria govern the stability of these systems? How do their properties change as a function of size and composition? How are their properties altered by their environment? Seeking answers to these questions is at the core of a new interdisciplinary field that lies at the intersection of physics, chemistry and biology, a field now entitled Meso-Bio-Nano (MBN) Science.
Experimental and theoretical aspects of these problems will be discussed at the DySoN 2014 Conference. Particular attention will be devoted to dynamical phenomena in MBN systems. These include nanoscale phase transitions, dynamics and transformations of the systems, fusion, fission, collision and fragmentation, collective electron excitations, reactivity, nanoscale insights into biodamage, temperature variation and exposure to environment or external electric, magnetic, laser fields, channeling phenomena and many more. Important is that despite the variety of the types of the MBN system their dynamics has a number of similar features and, thus, can be described by means of similar physical approaches.
The Conference will reveal the connection of related phenomena in various fields, and to pronounce the interdisciplinary aspects of the MBN Science. For this purpose, leading scientists from atomic, molecular and cluster physics, nano and material science, biophysics, molecular biology, and applied science will be invited to give their talks. Bringing together scientists from these different disciplines will result in the enhancement of interdisciplinary scientific contacts and shaping of a new research area, which, in turn, will lead to a deeper understanding of the nature of the MBN processes and its applications.
The following topics will be addressed in the talks within the Conference:\strong>
- Structure and dynamics of clusters, nanoparticles and biomolecules
- Dynamics of nanoparticles and biomolecules on surface
- Clustering and self-organization on a nanoscale
- Cluster and biomolecular ensembles, complexes, nanostructured materials
- Nanoscale phase transitions
- Reactivity and nanocatalysis of free and supported clusters and nanoparticles
- Thermal, optical and magnetic properties
- Electron/Spin transport and molecular electronics
- Coupling of electronic and nuclear dynamics
- External field effects
- Collision processes, fusion, fission, fragmentation
- Nanoscale insights in biodamages
- Dynamics and functioning of bio-nano systems
- Biological effects, properties, functions
- From fundamentals of nanoscale dynamics towards applications
- Theoretical methods for the description of complex system dynamics