On the Universality of Mesoscience: Science of 'the in-between'

The universality of mesoscales, ranging between elemental particles and the universe, is discussed here by reviewing widely disparate fields and presenting four cases, at differing hierarchical levels, from chemistry, chemical engineering, meteorology, through to astronomy. An underpinning concept, "Compromise in competition", is highlighted between various dominant, but competing mechanisms, and is identified here to be the universal origin of complexity and diversity in such examples. We therefore advance this as a key underlying principle of an emerging science -- Mesoscience.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figur

On the universality of mesoscience: Science of 'the in-between'

The universality of mesoscales, ranging between elemental particles and the universe, is discussed here by reviewing widely disparate fields and presenting four cases, at differing hierarchical levels, from chemistry, chemical engineering, meteorology, through to astronomy. An underpinning concept, “Compromise in competition”, is highlighted between various dominant, but competing mechanisms, and is identified here to be the universal origin of complexity and diversity in such examples. We therefore advance this as a key underlying principle of an emerging science — Mesoscience. One Sentence Summary: Compromise in, and between, competing mechanisms is identified as the universal origin of complexity and diversity, and forms the core of Mesoscience

The hierarchical structure of chemical engineering

Around the turn of the present century,scholars began to recognize chemical engineering as a com-plex system,and have been searching for a convenient point of entry for refreshing its knowledge base.From our study of the dynamic structures of dispersed particles in fluidization and the resultingmulti-scale method,we have been attempting to extend our findings to structures prevailing in othermultiphase systems as well as in the burgeoning industries producing functional materials.Chemicalengineering itself is hierarchically structured.Besides structures based on space and time,such hier-archy could be built from ChE history scaled according to science content,or from ChE operation ac-cording to the expenditure of manpower and capital investment.Around the turn of the present century, scholars began to recognize chemical engineering as a complex system, and have been searching for a convenient point of entry for refreshing its knowledge base. From our study of the dynamic structures of dispersed particles in fluidization and the resulting multi-scale method, we have been attempting to extend our findings to structures prevailing in other multiphase systems as well as in the burgeoning industries producing functional materials. Chemical engineering itself is hierarchically structured. Besides structures based on space and time, such hierarchy could be built from ChE history scaled according to science content, or from ChE operation according to the expenditure of manpower and capital investment

OXIDATION OF TiAl,Ni AND Fe IN A DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENTAL SEM

A Dynamic Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (DESEM) was developed in this laboratory for in situ monitoring of the morphology of metal surface during oxidation. The process of nucleation and growth of oxide grains/whiskers on Fe, Ni and TiAl during oxidation were successfully observed and recorded continuously by using our KYKY1500 ESEM. The experiments were carried out under different conditions of oxidation: temperature in the range of 500~750 oC and oxygen partial pressure in the range of 10-4~45 Pa. In the light of the observed surface morphology and microstructure during the oxidation, the growth mechanism and reaction kinetics were discussed

The hierarchical structure of chemical engineering

Around the turn of the present century,scholars began to recognize chemical engineering as a com-plex system,and have been searching for a convenient point of entry for refreshing its knowledge base.From our study of the dynamic structures of dispersed particles in fluidization and the resultingmulti-scale method,we have been attempting to extend our findings to structures prevailing in othermultiphase systems as well as in the burgeoning industries producing functional materials.Chemicalengineering itself is hierarchically structured.Besides structures based on space and time,such hier-archy could be built from ChE history scaled according to science content,or from ChE operation ac-cording to the expenditure of manpower and capital investment