"IV International Conference on Surfaces, Materials and Vacuum",
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, 26th - 30th September 2011.
"Specialist Meeting on Carbon"
25th - 28th September 2011
The photothermal phenomena are those related to the conversion of light energy into heat. The various photothermal techniques which have been developed, mainly during the last 30 years, are based on these phenomena. Application of these techniques can be found in many fields of knowledge, covering topics such as the study of dynamic processes in different materials and systems, measurement of transport properties (mass, heat, and electronic), spectroscopy, microscopy, etc. Although these techniques have fulfilled the expectations placed on them, a number of recent developments require particular attention: For example the ancient Photoacoustic Technique has been finding new applications. Detection schemes using pyroelectric sensors are extremely attractive because of their potential, for example, for measuring thermal properties in liquids. Remote detection schemes such as infrared radiometry and thermal lens spectroscopy have also extended their fields of application. The capability of infrared thermography for thermophysical and mechanical characterization has also been demonstrated. In last few years new theoretical and experimental methodologies have appeared, some of which involve phenomena that are similar to photothermal ones, such as the generation of thermal waves through electric and magnetic fields, the so-called diffusion waves and the laser ultrasonic, among others. The Symposium "Photothermal Phenomena" will host original research work in this area.