Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 10 of 10

Full-Text Articles in Physics

Evidence Of The Harmonic Faraday Instability In Ultrasonic Atomization Experiments With A Deep, Inviscid Fluid, Andrew P. Higginbotham '09, Aaron Guillen '11, Nathan C. Jones '10, Thomas D. Donnelly, Andrew J. Bernoff Jan 2011

Evidence Of The Harmonic Faraday Instability In Ultrasonic Atomization Experiments With A Deep, Inviscid Fluid, Andrew P. Higginbotham '09, Aaron Guillen '11, Nathan C. Jones '10, Thomas D. Donnelly, Andrew J. Bernoff

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

A popular method for generating micron-sized aerosols is to submerge ultrasonic (ω~MHz) piezoelectric oscillators in a water bath. The submerged oscillator atomizes the fluid, creating droplets with radii proportional to the wavelength of the standing wave at the fluid surface. Classical theory for the Faraday instability predicts a parametric instability driving a capillary wave at the subharmonic (ω/2) frequency. For many applications it is desirable to reduce the size of the droplets; however, using higher frequency oscillators becomes impractical beyond a few MHz. Observations are presented that demonstrate that smaller droplets may also be created by …


Domain Relaxation In Langmuir Films, James C. Alexander, Andrew J. Bernoff, Elizabeth K. Mann, J. Adin Mann Jr., Jacob R. Wintersmith '06, Lu Zou Jan 2007

Domain Relaxation In Langmuir Films, James C. Alexander, Andrew J. Bernoff, Elizabeth K. Mann, J. Adin Mann Jr., Jacob R. Wintersmith '06, Lu Zou

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We report on theoretical studies of molecularly thin Langmuir films on the surface of a quiescent subfluid and qualitatively compare the results to both new and previous experiments. The film covers the entire fluid surface, but domains of different phases are observed. In the absence of external forcing, the compact domains tend to relax to circles, driven by a line tension at the phase boundaries. When stretched (by a transient applied stagnation-point flow or by stirring), a compact domain elongates, creating a bola consisting of two roughly circular reservoirs connected by a thin tether. This shape will then relax slowly …


An Experimental Study Of Micron-Scale Droplet Aerosols Produced Via Ultrasonic Atomization, Thomas D. Donnelly, J. Hogan '03, A. Mugler '04, N. Schommer '04, M. Schubmehl '02, Andrew J. Bernoff, B. Forrest '02 Jun 2004

An Experimental Study Of Micron-Scale Droplet Aerosols Produced Via Ultrasonic Atomization, Thomas D. Donnelly, J. Hogan '03, A. Mugler '04, N. Schommer '04, M. Schubmehl '02, Andrew J. Bernoff, B. Forrest '02

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

In the last 10 years, laser-driven fusion experiments performed on atomic clusters of deuterium have shown a surprisingly high neutron yield per joule of input laser energy. Results indicate that the optimal cluster size for maximizing fusion events should be in the 0.01–μm diameter range, but an appropriate source of droplets of this size does not exist. In an attempt to meet this need, we use ultrasonic atomization to generate micron-scale droplet aerosols of high average density, and we have developed and refined a reliable droplet sizing technique based on Mie scattering. Harmonic excitation of the fluid in …


Blowup And Dissipation In A Critical-Case Unstable Thin Film Equation, Thomas P. Witelski, Andrew J. Bernoff, Andrea L. Bertozzi Jan 2004

Blowup And Dissipation In A Critical-Case Unstable Thin Film Equation, Thomas P. Witelski, Andrew J. Bernoff, Andrea L. Bertozzi

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We study the dynamics of dissipation and blow-up in a critical-case unstable thin film equation. The governing equation is a nonlinear fourth-order degenerate parabolic PDE derived from a generalized model for lubrication flows of thin viscous fluid layers on solid surfaces. There is a critical mass for blow-up and a rich set of dynamics including families of similarity solutions for finite-time blow-up and infinite-time spreading. The structure and stability of the steady-states and the compactly-supported similarity solutions is studied.


Transformation Of Statistics In Fractional Quantum Hall Systems, John J. Quinn, Arkadiusz Wojs, Jennifer J. Quinn, Arthur T. Benjamin Oct 2001

Transformation Of Statistics In Fractional Quantum Hall Systems, John J. Quinn, Arkadiusz Wojs, Jennifer J. Quinn, Arthur T. Benjamin

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

A Fermion to Boson transformation is accomplished by attaching to each Fermion a tube carrying a single quantum of flux oriented opposite to the applied magnetic field. When the mean field approximation is made in Haldane’s spherical geometry, the Fermion angular momentum lF is replaced by lB =lF − 1/2 (N −1). The set of allowed total angular momentum multiplets is identical in the two different pictures. The Fermion and Boson energy spectra in the presence of many body interactions are identical only if the pseudopotential V (interaction energy as a function of pair angular …


Transient Anomalous Diffusion In Poiseuille Flow, Marco Latini '01, Andrew J. Bernoff Jan 2001

Transient Anomalous Diffusion In Poiseuille Flow, Marco Latini '01, Andrew J. Bernoff

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We revisit the classical problem of dispersion of a point discharge of tracer in laminar pipe Poiseuille flow. For a discharge at the centre of the pipe we show that in the limit of small non-dimensional diffusion, D, tracer dispersion can be divided into three regimes. For small times (t [double less-than sign] D−1/3), diffusion dominates advection yielding a spherically symmetric Gaussian dispersion cloud. At large times (t [dbl greater-than sign] D−1), the flow is in the classical Taylor regime, for which the tracer is homogenized transversely across the pipe and diffuses with …


Stability Of Self-Similar Solutions For Van Der Waals Driven Thin Film Rupture, Thomas P. Witelski, Andrew J. Bernoff Sep 1999

Stability Of Self-Similar Solutions For Van Der Waals Driven Thin Film Rupture, Thomas P. Witelski, Andrew J. Bernoff

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Recent studies of pinch-off of filaments and rupture in thin films have found infinite sets of first-type similarity solutions. Of these, the dynamically stable similarity solutions produce observable rupture behavior as localized, finite-time singularities in the models of the flow. In this letter we describe a systematic technique for calculating such solutions and determining their linear stability. For the problem of axisymmetric van der Waals driven rupture (recently studied by Zhang and Lister), we identify the unique stable similarity solution for point rupture of a thin film and an alternative mode of singularity formation corresponding to annular “ring rupture.”


The Interaction Of A Point Vortex With A Wall-Bounded Vortex Layer, Oliver V. Atassi, Andrew J. Bernoff, Seth Lichter Jan 1997

The Interaction Of A Point Vortex With A Wall-Bounded Vortex Layer, Oliver V. Atassi, Andrew J. Bernoff, Seth Lichter

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

The interaction of a point vortex with a layer of constant vorticity, bounded below by a wall and above by an irrotational flow, is investigated as a model of vortex–boundary layer interaction. This model calculates both the evolution of the interface which separates the vortex layer from the irrotational flow and the trajectory of the vortex. In order to determine the conditions which lead to sustained unsteady interaction, three cases are investigated where the mutual interaction between the vortex and interface is initially assumed to be weak. (i) When a weak point vortex lies outside the layer, the vortex moves …


Advection Of A Passive Scalar By A Vortex Couple In The Small-Diffusion Limit, Joseph F. Lingevitch, Andrew J. Bernoff Jan 1994

Advection Of A Passive Scalar By A Vortex Couple In The Small-Diffusion Limit, Joseph F. Lingevitch, Andrew J. Bernoff

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We study the advection of a passive scalar by a vortex couple in the small-diffusion (i.e. large Péclet number, Pe) limit. The presence of weak diffusion enhances mixing within the couple and allows the gradual escape of the scalar from the couple into the surrounding flow. An averaging technique is applied to obtain an averaged diffusion equation for the concentration inside the dipole which agrees with earlier results of Rhines & Young for large times. At the outer edge of the dipole, a diffusive boundary layer of width O(Pe−½) forms; asymptotic matching to the interior …


Modulated, Frequency-Locked, And Chaotic Cross-Waves, William B. Underhill, Seth Lichter, Andrew J. Bernoff Jan 1991

Modulated, Frequency-Locked, And Chaotic Cross-Waves, William B. Underhill, Seth Lichter, Andrew J. Bernoff

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Measurements were made of the wave height of periodic, quasi-periodic, and chaotic parametrically forced cross-waves in a long rectangular channel. In general, three frequencies (and their harmonics) may be observed: the subharmonic frequency and two slow temporal modulations — a one-mode instability associated with streamwise variation and a sloshing motion associated with spanwise variation. Their interaction, as forcing frequency, f, and forcing amplitude, a, were varied, produced a pattern of Arnold tongues in which two or three frequencies were locked. The overall picture of frequency-locked and -unlocked regions is explained in terms of the Arnold tongues predicted by …