Brian J. Spencer spencerb@buffalo.edu
Associate
Professor tel:(716)
645-6284 ext 118
Department
of Mathematics fax:
(716) 645-5039
University
at Buffalo www.math.buffalo.edu/~spencerb
Buffalo,
NY 14260
Education:
o
B.S.
from Michigan Technological University in Metallurgical Engineering and
Materials Science (Summa Cum Laude, 1988).
o
Ph.D.
from Northwestern University, Department of Engineering Science and Applied
Mathematics (1992).
Professional
History:
o
1992-93:
NSF Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellow, California Institute of
Technology, Applied Mathematics; Advisor: Professor Daniel I. Meiron.
o
1993-95:
Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Cambridge, Institute of
Theoretical Geophysics, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical
Physics; Advisor: Professor Herbert E. Huppert.
o
1995-2001:
Assistant Professor, University at Buffalo, Department of Mathematics
o
2001-now:
Associate Professor, University at Buffalo, Department of Mathematics
Research
Interests: Applied Mathematics of Materials Science Phenomena
(1)
Development of models to describe microstructure evolution in materials. This involves the interaction of phase
transformations, chemical thermodynamics, elasticity, fluid mechanics and other
transport processes. The resulting
models are typically nonlinear free-boundary problems with coupled partial
differential or integral equations.
(2)
Analysis of these mathematical models to gain an understanding of materials
phenomena. This requires the use and
development of asymptotic and perturbation methods, the methods of mathematical
physics, and numerical methods. Topics
relevant to the analysis include evolution equations, pattern formation,
hydrodynamic and morphological instabilities, and bifurcation and stability
theory.
Research
Grants:
o
1996-2000:
Mathematical modeling of island formation in strained solid films (NSF DMS)
o
1996-1998:
Mathematical science computing research environment (NSF DMS; PI L. Coburn,
with J. Bell, W. Menasco and B. Pitman)
o
2000-2004:
Morphological development in strained alloy films (NSF DMS)
o
2001-2005:
NIRT: The evolution and self-assembly of quantum dots (NSF DMR: PI P.W.
Voorhees, with M. Asta, S.H. Davis, A. Golovin, G.B. McFadden, M.J. Miksis)
Five
recent publications:
o
A.
Rastelli, H. von Kanel, B.J. Spencer and J. Tersoff, Prepyramid-to-pyramid
transition of SiGe islands on Si(001), Physical Review B, vol 68, article
115301 (2003).
o
J.
Tersoff, B.J. Spencer, A. Rastelli and H. von Kanel, Barrierless formation and
faceting of SiGe islands on Si(001), Physical Review Letters, vol 89, article
196104 (2002).
o
L.L
Shanahan and B.J. Spencer, "A codimension-two free boundary problem for
the equilibrium shapes of a small three-dimensional island in an
epitaxially-strained solid film," Interfaces
and Free Boundaries, vol 4, pp 1-25, (2002).
o
B.J.
Spencer and J. Tersoff, "Stresses and first-order dislocation energetics
in equilibrium Stranski-Krastanow islands," Physical Review B, vol 63,
article 205424 (2001).
o
B.J.
Spencer, P.W. Voorhees and J. Tersoff, "Morphological instability theory
for strained alloy film growth: the effect of compositional stresses and
species-dependent surface mobilities on ripple formation during epitaxial film
deposition," Physical Review B, vol 64, article 235318 (2001).
Five
other publications:
o B.J. Spencer, P.W. Voorhees and S.H. Davis, "Morphological Instability in Epitaxially-Strained Dislocation-Free Solid Films,"Physical Review Letters, vol 67, pp 3696-3699 (1991). [176 citations]
o B.J. Spencer, P.W. Voorhees and S.H. Davis, "Morphological Instability in Epitaxially-Strained Dislocation-Free Solid Films: Linear Stability Theory," Journal of Applied Physics, vol 73, pp 4955-4970 (1993). [109 citations]
o B. J. Spencer and J. Tersoff, "Equilibrium shapes and properties of epitaxially strained islands" Physical Review Letters, vol 79, pp 4858-4861 (1997). [54 citations]
o
B.J. Spencer and D.I. Meiron, "Nonlinear Evolution
of the Stress-Driven Morphological Instability in a Two-Dimensional
Semi-Infinite Solid," Acta Metallurgica et Materialia, vol 42, pp
3629-3641 (1994). [37 citations]
o B.J. Spencer, P.W. Voorhees and J. Tersoff, "Enhanced instability of strained alloy films due to compositional stresses," Physical Review Letters, vol 84, pp 2449-2452 (2000). [28 citations]
Five
recent presentations:
o
Morphological
instability of strained alloy film growth, AMS-MAA Joint Meeting (2002).
o
Formation
of quantum dots, rings and molecules in strained solid films, Annual meeting of
the American Physical Society (2002)
o
Equilibrium
shapes of quantum dots, rings and molecules, Fall Meeting of the Materials
Research Society (2002).
o
Formation
of quantum dots, rings and molecules in strained solid films, SIAM 50th
Anniversary Meeting (2002).
o
Shape
transitions in strained solid drops, Northwestern University Dept of
Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics 25th Anniversary
Conference (2002).
Awards:
o
Outstanding
Referee Award, Acta Materialia (1999).
o
NSF
Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (1992-93).
o
NSF
Graduate Fellowship (1988-91).
o
Cabell
Fellowship, Northwestern University (1998-89)
Students
mentored:
Cynthia
Rudin (BA Honors Thesis, 1998), Linda Shanahan (MA 1998), Linda Roycroft (MA
1999), Abdelkabir Jou (MA 2001), Katherine Brooks (MA 2001), Daniela Joita (PhD
2002), Mihaela Blanariu (PhD current), Wondimu Tekalign (PhD current).
Professional
Activities:
Proposal
Reviews: 2 panels, 2 external, 2 external international
Journal
Article Reviews: 47 papers for 14 different journals
40
invited and contributed presentations; 21 refereed papers; 521 citations of
published work
Member
of SIAM, American Physical Society, Materials Research Society
revised 10/24/03