Editorial to “UCLA-IPAM-NSF workshop on thin films and fluid interfaces”

Abstract

The papers presented in this issue are selected contributions from participants of a workshop on “thin films and fluid interfaces” held at the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics at the University of California, Los Angeles, January 30–February 2, 2006. The workshop was organized by Andrea L. Bertozzi, Robert Behringer, Michael Shearer, Dejan Slepcev, and Tom Witelski. The purpose of the workshop was to bring together an international group of researchers working on experimental, analytical, and computational problems related to thin films and fluid interfaces. The workshop featured current research progress in this area including moving contact lines, solid-liquid-vapor interfaces, and surface tension effects. Funding for this workshop was made possible by the National Science Foundation through a Focused Research Group grant in the Mathematical Sciences. The workshop was attended by speakers from six countries: France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Over fifty people in total participated during the four days of the workshop. This issue contains six papers illustratingmany of the topics of interest from the workshop. All papers are research articles contributed by speakers at the workshop, and their collaborators. Here we summarize the papers in regards to their connection to the current literature. The works include a blend of new experimental results (two papers) mathematical models, asymptotics, numerical simulations, and analysis. Typically, the