11 feb 2016 -- 10:00 [open in google calendar]
Aula Magna (Dipartimento di Matematica di Pisa)
Abstract.
Carbon nanostructures are identified with configurations of atoms interacting via empirical potentials. The specific geometry of covalent bonding in carbon is phenomenologically described by the combination of an attractive-repulsive two-body interaction and a three-body bond-orientation part. We investigate the strict local and global minimality of specific carbon configurations under general assumptions on the interaction potentials. In particular, we discuss the stability of carbyne, graphene, some fullerenes, and diamond. Joint work with M. Friedrich, E. Mainini, H. Murakawa, and P. Piovano.