Properties and Processes at the Nanoscale-Nanomechanics of Material Behavior

Symposium SS, "Properties and Processes at the Nanoscale-Nanomechanics of Material Behavior," was held November 28-December 2 at the 2011 MRS Fall Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. For two decades, the MRS meetings have had a significant presence in hosting symposia focused on nanomechanical behavior of materials. This symposium continued this strong tradition by focusing on both methods of testing and the resulting unique properties in small volumes of materials. Two main thrusts are evident from the field at this time: the use of small scale tests to examine a locally small structure or defect (i.e., something you cannot accomplish with a macroscopic test) and the use of nanomechanics to determine nm-scale mechanisms that control macroscopic mechanical behavior. This selection of papers from the symposium highlight the breadth of work presented at the symposium.