Preface

Abstract

The Oji International Seminar `Quest for New Physical Phases under Extreme Conditions' took place at the Hotel New Oji, Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Japan, from 31 May to 5 June 1998. This seminar was the 46th in the series of Oji International Seminars and was sponsored jointly by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the Fujihara Foundation of Science. The aim of the present Oji Seminar was to provide a forum for exchange of the most recent results and ideas between condensed matter physicists, astrophysicists, physical chemists and biological physicists. The delegates were drawn from across the broad spectrum of physics and work in conditions considered extreme in their respective fields. This special issue comprises the invited review papers and the poster session papers presented at the seminar. This Oji International Seminar attracted some 60 scientists of whom 18 were from overseas. The seminar consisted of five major sessions as follows: (1) materials under high pressures and metallic hydrogen; (2) extreme physical states in astrophysics; (3) phase transitions under strong magnetic fields; (4) strongly correlated electrons and high Tc superconductivity; (5) complex systems under extreme conditions. In addition to these sessions, a poster session was held on the afternoon of 4 June. All the invited speakers went to considerable lengths to make their lectures comprehensible to the scientists working outside their fields. The interrelation of neighbouring fields was duly emphasized so that the audience could understand the importance of speakers' results, and relate it to his or her own research. In recent years, many experiments have been carried out under extreme conditions of high pressures, low temperatures and strong magnetic fields. In this regard, the Oji Seminar provided an ideal forum for exchange, and the ensuing discussions were extremely lively. The chairpersons often had to terminate them because of time limitations, but they then continued in an animated fashion during the coffee breaks and over meals. The poster session was also a great success. The scheduled three hours for the poster session was again followed by enthusiastic debate. The purpose of the Oji Seminars is to provide a forum for the discussion of a chosen topic at the highest scientific standard. To achieve this purpose, all delegates stay at the same location and closely interact with each other, both scientifically and personally. A lasting collaborative environment is also a standard outcome of the seminars. This Oji Seminar was a great success in all these respects. A great majority of the delegates participated in the entire seminar despite their extremely busy schedules. Innumerable excellent encounters took place during the seminar between scientists working in quite different fields. The reception on the evening of 31 May, the dinner on the evening of 2 June, the after-dinner address by Professor E E Salpeter, the excursion to Otaru, and the ensuing dinner at the restaurant `Muteki-no-yoin' (Echo of the Fog Siren) on 3 June, all went extremely well in the most cordial of atmospheres. The seminar was concluded by Professor F Hensel's summary at noon on 5 June. It is a great pleasure to acknowledge all those individuals and organizations whose help contributed to the great success of this seminar. Special thanks go to the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and to the Fujihara Foundation of Science, without whose generous support this seminar would not have existed. We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to all the members of the Scientific Organizing Committee for their invaluable help. We especially thank Professor E Salpeter and Professor F Hensel for the very important roles they played. We also thank Professor H Kamimura for his invaluable advice in organizing the seminar. We are very much indebted to Professor T Ohtsuki, seminar secretary, Professor S Ogata, seminar treasurer, and all the members of the seminar secretariat for their excellent administrative work. We very much appreciate the fine work of the staff at Hotel New Oji whose dedicated service also made this Oji Seminar most enjoyable. Last, but not least, we thank all the participants of the seminar whose active participation has brought us such great success. Naoki Itoh (Sophia University, Japan) Neil W Ashcroft (Cornell University, USA) Noboru Miura (University of Tokyo, Japan) Editors