Eulerian and Lagrangian simulations of continuum flow problems are commonplace.  Using particles to solve some of these problems became a viable approach when the smooth particle methods were discovered by Lucy and Monaghan.  Jeff Swegle (Sandia, Albuquerque) and Charles Wingate (Los Alamos Laboratory) have implemented the method for a variety of interesting applications.   A particularly challenging problem, free expansion within an enclosure, can be treated with smooth-particle methods [Hoover and Posch in Physical Review E 59, 1770 (1999)].  Carol and I wrote a pedagogical description of the method, "SPAM-Based Recipes for Continuum Simulations" [Computing in Science and Engineering 3(2), 78 (2001)].  During the summer of 2003 we worked with a Livermore High School senior, Elizabeth Merritt (now at Mount Holyoke), on new methods for conserving angular momentum and delaying solid-phase tensile instability using SPAM.  See the list of Recent Publications on the Main Page. During 2004-2006 Carol and I wrote a comprehensive account, [Smooth Particle Applied Mechanics---The State of the Art], published in 2006 by World Scientific Publishing in Singapore. The book has so far inflated from $75 to $100, as of 2010. For any researcher who is seriously interested in this work but cannot afford to buy it, we would be happy to honor a request for a free hard copy. The smooth particle techniques open many interesting research areas and introduce a simple and transparent way to solve hard problem in continuum mechanics.
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