Author Description

Symposium SS, "Advanced Imaging and Scattering Techniques for In Situ Studies," Symposium TT, "In Situ X-Ray Synchrotron Radiation Spectroscopies in Energy-Related Materials Science and Heterogeneous Catalysis," Symposium UU, "Real-Time Studies of Evolving Thin Films and Interfaces" and Symposium VV, "Novel Development and Applications of Scanning Probe Microscopy," were held at the 2010 MRS Fall Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. A major unifying theme for these symposia is exploration of intricate properties of materials on the near-to-atomic length scale in the immediate vicinity of the free surface or at interfaces between materials. These symposia focus on various aspects and approaches of exploration of surfaces and interfaces from more traditional electron and x-ray scattering (the focus of Symposia SS, TT, and UU) to more recent and rapidly advancing scanning probe microscopy, or SPM (Symposium VV). Together, they cover a field of great importance across the broad MRS community.