These Proceedings contain the papers presented as Short Communications (mini-talks and poster reports) at the 1st Winter Workshop on Cooperative Phenomena in Condensed Matter held in Pamporovo Ski Resort (Bulgaria), 7-15 March, 1998.
The workshop will be organized periodically to provide an informal arena for discussions on current topics of experimental and theoretical physics of condensed matter (with a special emphasis on the theory), for promotion of new results and considerations of joint research projects, for teaching students and young scientists. The scope of the 1st Winter Workshop covered different topics in condensed matter physics paying special attention to quantum liquids and crystals, superconductors, magnets, films and surfaces. The programme consisted of invited lectures (they are to be published in December 1998 by Plenum Press, London) and short communications. After refereeing and discussion during the Workshop the latter are published in the present volume. We are grateful to the Journal of Physical Studies for the interest in getting the Proceedings published.
It is our pleasure to thank the members of the International Advisory Committee A. F. Andreev (Kapitza RAS Moscow), B. Dorner (ILL Grenoble), P. Fisher (PSI Zurich), B. Forsyth (RAL Oxford), P. Fulde (MPI-PKS Dresden), V. L. Ginzburg (Lebedev RAS Moscow), Yu. E. Lozovik (IS RAS Moscow), S. Mobilio (III Univ of Rome & Frascati), Yu. Ossipian (SSI RAS Moscow), P. Perfetti (CNR Triest & Frascati), M. Piacentini (La Sapienza Rome & Frascati), J. Schreiber (IFZP Dresden), I. Vakarchuk (Lviv Univ., Lviv) for their useful assistance and cooperation.
The 1st Pamporovo Winter Workshop has been organized by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Sofia) and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna). It was under the patronage of the Minister of the Science and Education and the organizers were supported by respective Departments of the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria. The organizers are particularly indebted to the Austrian Institute for East and South-East Europe for the financial support of the Austrian participants and an additional sponsorship, to the 3M Corporation for the sponsorship and the extraordinary technical help, to ``Nova Denitza" (Sofia) for a supply of technical materials, and to the Pamporovo Tourist Corporation for the all-round help and sponsorship. A funding of most of the participants by the INTAS programme is also gratefully acknowledged.
Finally, the organizers thank all 40 participants from Austria, Belgium, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Macedonia, Russia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom who have created, together with 10 Bulgarian participants, a wonderful atmosphere of science and friendship.
Dimo I. Uzunov, Yurij Holovatch
Guest editors of this issue