[General] Special Issue of the Elsevier Journal "Computers & Graphics" on: Natural Phenomena Simulation

Call for Papers Special Issue of the Elsevier Journal "Computers & Graphics" on: Natural Phenomena Simulation Submission Deadline: September 30th, 2005 Journal URL: http://www.elsevier.nl/locate/cag Since the beginning of computer graphics, researchers have been attracted to visually reproduce Nature's beauty and complexity present in a myriad of phenomena, from a small water droplet to a space nebula. During this time, different approaches have been taken to simulate such phenomena. Researchers working on entertainment applications, for example, usually emphasize the believable visual representation of natural phenomena, while researchers working on scientific applications usually focus their efforts on the accuracy of the models representing the underlying natural processes. Ideally, we would like to be able to create realistic displays of natural phenomena using accurate models in a reasonable time. Such a goal highlights one the most important research challenges facing the computer graphics community today, namely the predictive simulation of natural phenomena, involving both the light interaction with matter and the dynamics of natural systems. Predictive simulations make the image synthesis process more intuitive and have a broader scope of applications, including not only believable picture making, but also scientific and medical visualization. The key issue in this context, however, consists in establishing the predictability of the models. It is not a trivial task since computer models are intrinsically less predictable than physical phenomena. Currently, two guidelines are used in the development of predictive simulations of natural phenomena. First, the models are designed to be controlled by biophysically meaningful parameters. Second, their evaluation involves comparisons of modeled results with actual measured data or the real phenomenon. In this special issue, we welcome contributions describing original research work on natural phenomena simulation, preferably taking into account the predictability guidelines outlined above. Furthermore, due to the multidisciplinary nature of this theme, special attention will be given to papers that are supported by reliable scientific data from fields including, but not limited to, oceanography, remote sensing physics, chemistry, biology and medicine, and which can also provide evidence of practical contributions to these fields. Authors are encouraged to select one or more of the following topics:  Gaseous Phenomena  Atmospheric Phenomena  Astrophysical Phenomena  Spectral Rendering of Fluids  Visualization of Fluid Flow  Transformation of Materials (e.g., seasonal changes, tanning, melting etc...)  Biophysically-Based Rendering of Organic Materials  Biophysically-Based Animation of Biological Systems Important dates: E-mail expression of interest: as soon as possible Submission of contributions: September 30th, 2005 Notification of acceptance / rejection: December 1st, 2006 Submission of final manuscripts: February 1st, 2006 Publication: August, 2006 Guest Editors for this issue: Gladimir V. G. Baranoski Natural Phenomena Simulation Group School of Computer Science University of Waterloo Waterloo, ON, Canada gvgbaran(a)curumin.math.uwaterloo.ca Marcio Lobo Netto Electronic Systems Engineering Department Politechnic School - University of Sao Paulo Sao Paulo, Brazil lobonett(a)lsi.usp.br While it is not required, authors are strongly encouraged to e-mail the Guest Editors indicating their intent to submit an article. Please carefully check the guidelines for authors available from Elsevier at: http://www.elsevier.nl/locate/cag For authors who wish to submit their manuscript in the Elsevier-Latex-style, the following URL may be helpful: http://www.elsevier.co.jp/homepage/about/ita/styles We also encourage contributions with complementary multimedia material (images, videos, or applets). They shall be available with the electronic version of the paper, at the Computers & Graphics web site. All papers will be peer reviewed by multiple experts. Electronic submission is strongly encouraged. Contributions should be submitted by (preferably) emailing the URL where the submission can be retrieved or by emailing the paper itself as one file (PDF or Compressed Postscript) to Marcio Lobo Netto or Gladimir V. G. Baranoski. If this is impossible, please send 4 copies to: Prof. Gladimir V. G. Baranoski Natural Phenomena Simulation Group School of Computer Science University of Waterloo 200 University Avenue West Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2L 3G1 Phone: +1519-888-4567 ext. 5412 Fax: +1519-885-1208 URL: http://www.curumin.uwaterloo.ca/~gvgbaran/index.html gvgbaran(a)curumin.math.uwaterloo.ca or Prof. Marcio Lobo Netto Depto. Eng. Sistemas Eletronicos Escola Polit´ecnica da USP 05508-900 - Cidade Universitaria Sao Paulo, BRAZIL Phone: +5511 3818-5661 Fax: +5511 3031-4574 URL: http://www.lsi.usp.br/~lobonett email mailto:lobonett@lsi.usp.br Whatever the submission method, you should send an email to the editors with the title of the paper, the authors' names and affiliations, the contact author's address, the abstract and the submission method URL, attached file, the filename used for ftp, or surface mail tracking information.