Regular and Special Sessions

1. Solid mechanics and thermodynamics: Lagrangian vs Eulerian approach. Modeling of fractures, dislocations, anisotropy, memory, pre-stress, yield stress, damage, soft matter, etc.
2. Thermodynamics and multiscale dynamics: Thermodynamical characterisation of instabilities/bifurcations etc. in non-equilibrium systems. Thermodynamic methods of reduction, e.g. from kinetic theory to fluid mechanics, memory effects, etc.
3. Heat transfer and superfluids: How to properly describe heat transfer in various materials at various scales. Relations to superfluid models, one‑component and two‑component, HVBK, vortex‑filament method.
4. Computation of thermodynamic properties: Molecular simulation or equation of state? Monte Carlo or molecular dynamics? And what about statistical mechanics, cluster expansions, etc. Perhaps even machine learning?
5. Entropy and information: Construction of entropies, information theory and fluctuations.
6. Thermodynamics of diffusion and porous media: Theories of diffusion, thermodynamic restrictions and implications. Non-Fickian diffusion. Transport in porous media. Fractional calculus and Brownian motion. Self-diffusion and its macroscopic manifestation.
7. Rigorous mathematics and thermodynamics: What does mathematics (rigorous analysis of ordinary and partial differential equations, dynamical systems, etc.) bring? For instance, parabolic vs. hyperbolic – should we care about the existence and regularity of solutions, about finite speed of signal propagation or Galilean invariance?
8. Thermodynamics and quantum physics: Does thermodynamics play a role in the quantum world? Two-state quantum heat engines, quantum ratchets and molecular Maxwell daemons, etc.
9. Electrochemistry: Thermodynamic descriptions of electrochemical processes, electrodiffusion, electrochemical reactions. Applications to batteries, fuel cells, etc.
10. Kinetics and dissipative structures: Reaction kinetics, self-organization and dissipative structures.
11. Driven (externally and internally) systems, boundary conditions and interfaces (spatial coupling of models): How far can a given framework go? How to tackle open systems in thermodynamics?
12. Thermodynamics in social sciences (e.g. in economy): Does it work and why? Is it by analogy, what does analogy means? Are there universal laws that apply to all sciences? Does thermodynamics provide such laws?
13. Thermodynamics and geometry: Some theories are geometric while some not. Does geometry bring any added value? What could be geometrically/algebraically proper realizations of variational principles for irreversible processes? What could be the advantages to have such pictures? Possible geometric approaches to thermodynamics.
14. Engineering thermodynamics: Applications of thermodynamics in engineering, machinery, aerodynamics, chemical engineering.
15. Experimental thermodynamics: How to measure thermodynamic quantities. Construction of thermodynamic data sets.
16. Contribution of thermodynamics to efficiency and optimization: Sustainability and environment. Finite time thermodynamics, exergy, entropy production. How is it possible to optimize thermodynamic processes or combinations of such processes with the intent to maximize/minimize the output? What are the limits to such optimization, which paths should be taken, and are there reasonable constraints to be applied (cost, bulk, complexity, etc.).
17. Special session (organized by Piero Colonna): Teaching and Learning Thermodynamics in a Time of Change: There are so many approaches. Does anybody have a good one? Approaches suitable for engineers.
18. Special session (organized by Liliana Restuccia): Non-equilibrium thermodynamics with applications to complex systems: Thermodynamical models to describe dissipative processes in complex media, as superfluids, ionized fluid mixtures, polarizable and magnetizable media, crystals with defects, porous media, biosystems, semiconductors, nanosystems, metamaterials and others