Subject spin Hamiltonian parameters

An even coarser description is attempted in Ginzburg-Landau-type models. These continuum models describe the system configuration in terms of one or several, continuous order parameter fields. These fields are thought to describe the spatial variation of the composition. Similar to spin models, the amphiphilic properties are incorporated into the Hamiltonian by construction. The Hamiltonians are motivated by fundamental symmetry and stability criteria and offer a unified view on the general features of self-assembly. The universal, generic behaviour—the possible morphologies and effects of fluctuations, for instance—rather than the description of a specific material is the subject of these models. 

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