For chemists, biochemists, physicists and materials scientists, pressure
as an experimental variable represents a tool that provides unique
information about the microscopic properties of the materials being
studied. In addition to its use as a research tool for investigating the
energetics, structure, dynamics and kinetics of molecular
transformations of materials, pressure is also being used to modify the
properties of materials to preserve or improve their properties.
The contributions collected here cover the main areas of high pressure
research, including applications in materials science, condensed matter
physics, chemistry and biochemistry. In addition, some papers offer more
specialised aspects of high pressure studies. The book makes clear the
impressive range of fundamental and applied problems that can be studied
by high pressure techniques and also points towards a major growth of
high pressure science and technology in the near future.