Magnetic Resonance Imaging 25 (2007) 439 – 440
Editorial
The Eighth International Bologna Conference on Magnetic Resonance in Porous Media (Bologna MRPM8) The Eighth International Bologna Conference on Magnetic Resonance in Porous Media (Bologna MRPM8), chaired by Paola Fantazzini (Physics Department, University of Bologna, Italy), was held from September 10 to 14 2006. The conference took place at the Engineering Faculty of the University of Bologna, which put its facilities at our disposal free of charge for the smooth and fruitful conduct of the meeting. This was the eighth event in a series of outstanding conferences, devoted to the progress of our understanding of structure, molecular dynamics, and fluid transport and behaviors in porous media, by use of magnetic resonance techniques, with regard to physics, chemistry, engineering, industrial applications and life sciences. One can say with good reason that magnetic resonance for fluids in porous media (MRPM) now constitutes an interdisciplinary field with a wide range of scientific expertise and applications. The Proceedings of all the previous MRPM conferences [1–7], as well as of this one, have been published as Special Issues of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. To have all the proceedings published in an international journal with a worldwide readership has been important for the growth of the MRPM community and for the formation of an everincreasing number of young researchers interested in this area, as the whole of these issues gives an up-to-date and complete documentation of the state of the art and evolution of this discipline. This conference series started at the University of Bologna in 1990, with the title bFirst International Meeting on Recent Advances in NMR Applications to Porous Media.Q MRPM2 was held in 1993 at the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK (chairman John H. Strange), MRPM3 in 1995 at the Universite´ Catolique of Louvainla-Neuve, Belgium (chairman Jean Dereppe), MRPM4 in 1997 at the Research Center of STATOIL in Trondheim, Norway (chairpersons T. Skjetne and G.C. Borgia). The conference returned to Bologna in 2000 (chairpersons G.C. Borgia and P. Fantazzini). MRPM6 was organized in 2002 at the University of Ulm, Germany, the birthplace of Albert Einstein (chairman Rainer Kimmich). MRPM7 has been organized in Palaiseau (France) through the chairmanship of 0730-725X/$ – see front matter D 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.mri.2007.01.113
Jean-Pierre Korb. Since the vitality and interest of these conferences and the consideration that the community which the conference series serves had grown considerably over the years, after MRPM7 the community has joined the Groupement Ampere as the MRPM Division, and the conferences, which are now Ampere Events, are explicitly called the bBologna MRPM Conferences,Q in order to adequately recognize the contribution made in the course of more than 17 years by the Bologna Group. The eighth MRPM conference proved again to be a very stimulating event, very well attended, with more than 170 delegates from more than 20 different countries spread over five continents. As with previous meetings, both academia and industry were well represented. One hundred twenty-five participants became Groupement Ampere members by joining the Conference. A very large fraction of participants ( N30%) were students, also thanks to the policy of the organizing committee which decided to apply a low registration fee for young people. The participation of these young people, who have presented the results of their research with both passion and competence, have given to the conference a special vitality and momentum toward the future. During the opening session, the organisers decided to have a surprise for the first invited speaker, Eiichi Fukushima, who was going to present a special lecture on bRandom Walk Around Porous Media Magnetic Resonance — A Personal View.Q His lecture was introduced by Paul T. Callaghan, who gave a brilliant account of his scientific and private lives and a short celebration in honour of his 70th birthday. The second invited lecture, bMagnetic Resonance Force Microscopy — The Quest for a Molecular Structure MicroscopeQ given by Jonathan Mamin of the IBM Research Division–Almaden Research Center (USA), although not strictly connected with porous media, was a sort of present from the organizers to the participants to give a glimpse toward future scenarios made possible by magnetic resonance. The conference was arranged in 12 scientific sessions which covered a wide range of traditional and novel
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Editorial / Magnetic Resonance Imaging 25 (2007) 439 – 440
methods for traditional and new applications, to describe normal and anomalous phenomena, including complex fluids and fluids in nanopore structures. Special attention was focused on multidimensional NMR, including diffusion, relaxation and flow correlations. New instruments, apparatus, pulse sequences and experiments were presented for solving problems in traditional applications (such as oilfield) and new ones (such as cultural heritage and hydrogeology). Contributions consisted of 15 invited lectures, 17 oral communications and more than 100 posters, of which 31 were selected to be presented also as short oral contributions. Most of the lectures and oral communications have been written up as the papers appearing in this volume, together with the abstracts of the other contributions, and provide a rich record of an exciting meeting. During the closing session of Bologna MRPM8, the Giulio Cesare Borgia Prize for Young Researchers (3000 Euros) was awarded. The committee, composed of Bernhard Blqmich, Paul Callaghan, Pabitra Sen and Paola Fantazzini, awarded the prize to Rustem Valiullin, with the following inscription: bFor his outstanding leadership in the analysis of porous media by NMR techniques.Q This work will have a major impact in the understanding of the physics of fluids confined in pore networks. R. Valiullin presented at the conference the oral communication bDynamical Aspects of the Adsorption Hysteresis Phenomenon,Q by R. Valiullin, S. Naumov, P. Galvosas, J. K7rger, P.A. Monson, which is included as a paper in this issue; he was co-author of a number of posters, the abstracts of which are reported in this issue as well. During the general assembly at the end of the conference, chaired by Peter McDonald, it was proposed that the 9th Bologna MRPM Conference will be held in 2008 in Boston. It was agreed that Jean-Pierre Korb (MRPM7 Chair), Paola Fantazzini (MRPM8 Chair), Pabitra Sen (MRPM9 Chair), Peter McDonald and Siegfried Stapf should serve as the steering committee for the next 2 years. The numerous enthusiastic congratulations received during and after the meeting showed that the organization of the conference was very well appreciated in all respects. P. Fantazzini and the community are indebted to the efficient organizing committee members, in particular to Dr. Villiam Bortolotti, Dr. Mirko Gombia of University of Bologna and Dr. Giuseppe Maddinelli of Eni (Milano, I). Special thanks
go to Dr. Robert James Sidford Brown, who was an invaluable help with scientific and organizational matters during the whole 2 years preceding the conference. Special thanks also go to Dr. Simona Nardini of the Department of Physics, who took care of the administrative part, and to all the team of HT Congressi, who handled contacts with the participants for registration and hotel accommodations. As of this writing, we have received confirmation of the place and time of the 9th Bologna Conference on Magnetic Resonance in Porous Media, which will cross the Atlantic Ocean for the first time and will be hosted by SchlumbergerDoll Research in Boston, MA, USA, on July 13, 2008, chaired jointly by Pabitra N. Sen and Martin H. Hqrlimann. The 10th edition of MRPM is expected to be held in Leipzig (Germany) in 2010. Paola Fantazzini E-mail address:
[email protected] References [1] Borgia GC, Brown RJS, Fantazzini P, Gore J, Mansfield P, Maraviglia B, Mesini E, Sgubini L, editors. Proceedings of the First International Meeting on Recent Advances in NMR Applications to Porous Media, Bologna 14–16 Nov. 1990. Magn Res Imaging 1991; 9(5):639 – 888. [2] Borgia GC, Fantazzini P, Gore J, Smith RM, Strange JH, editors. Proceedings of the Second International Meeting on Recent Advances in MR Applications to Porous Media, Canterbury 14–16 April 1993. Magn Res Imaging 1994;12(2):161 – 378. [3] Borgia GC, Fantazzini P, Gore J, Halse MR, Strange JH, editors. Proceedings of the Third International Meeting on Recent Advances in MR Applications to Porous Media, Louvain-la-Neuve, 3–6 Sept. 1995. Magn Res Imaging 1996;14(7/8):697 – 1006. [4] Borgia GC, Fantazzini P, Gore J, Strange JH, editors. Proceedings of the Fourth International Meeting on Recent Advances in MR Applications to Porous Media, Trondheim, 31 Aug–3 Sept 1997. Magn Res Imaging 1998;16(5/6):449 – 714. [5] Borgia GC, Fantazzini P, Gore J, Strange JH, editors. Proceedings of the Fifth International Meeting on Recent Advances in MR Applications to Porous Media, Bologna, 9–11 Oct 2000. Magn Res Imaging 2001;19(3/4):291 – 593. [6] Borgia GC, Fantazzini P, Gore J, Holz M, Strange JH, editors. Proceedings of the Sixth International Meeting on Recent Advances in MR Applications to Porous Media, Ulm, 2–12 Sept 2002. Magn Res Imaging 2003;21(3/4):159 – 450. [7] Fantazzini P, Gore J, Korb J-P, editors. Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Recent Advances in MR Applications to Porous Media, Palaiseau, 4–8 July 2004. Magn Res Imaging 2005;23(2):121 – 444.