Two-Dimensional Diffusion of a Droplet near the Rigid Boundary of a Fluid Smectic Film

ORAL

Abstract

Homogeneous, freely-suspended fluid smectic A liquid crystal films in vacuum provide an ideal system for studying two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamics in the absence of additional drag from the surrounding air. The 2D Brownian motion of a single oil droplet embedded in such a film and diffusing near a rigid wall was captured using digital video microscopy. Analysis confirms that the diffusion is anisotropic, with different mobilities for droplet motion parallel and perpendicular to the wall, in qualitative agreement with calculations based on the Oseen tensor assuming non-slip boundary conditions.

*This work is supported by NASA Grant NNX-13AQ81G and by NSF MRSEC DMR-0820579.

–

Authors

  • Zhiyuan Qi

    • University of Colorado

  • Cheol Park

    • Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder
    • University of Colorado

  • Joseph Maclennan

    • University of Colorado

  • Matthew Glaser

    • Univ of Colorado - Boulder
    • University of Colorado

  • Noel Clark

    • Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado
    • Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
    • Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder (CO) U.S.A.
    • Department of Physics, and the Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado at Boulder
    • University of Colorado

  • Tatiana Kuriabova

    • Brown University

  • Thomas Powers

    • Brown University