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SUMMARY:A new classification of topological defects - Randy Kamien (U Penn
 )
DTSTART:20190212T130000Z
DTEND:20190212T140000Z
UID:TALK116053@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Professor Mike Cates
DESCRIPTION:Nearly 50 years ago\, homotopy theory was employed to unify ou
 r understanding of topological defects in superfluids\, superconductors\, 
 crystals\, and liquid crystals.  It was understood\, however\, that when t
 here is broken translation invariance (as in crystals and some liquid crys
 tals) that this approach required additional constraints.  I will demonstr
 ate the problem\, propose a solution which allows us to characterise the t
 opological defects in these systems\, and demonstrate a new classification
  in the case of smectic liquid crystals\, the simplest of these broken-tra
 nslational-symmetry states.\n
LOCATION:MR11\, CMS
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