Excitation of convective motions in isotropic and anisotropic liquids by light

Journal Article · Fri Jan 31 00:00:00 EST 2003 · Quantum Electronics (Woodbury, N.Y.)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1070/QE2003V033N01ABEH002368· OSTI ID:21470257

Akopyan, R S; Alaverdyan, R B; Muradyan, L Kh; Seferyan, G E; Chilingaryan, Yu S ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Yerevan State University, Yerevan (Armenia)

The possibility of excitation of convective motions of the Rayleigh - Benard and Marangoni type in isotropic liquids and nematic liquid crystals upon absorption of light with a spatially periodic intensity distribution is demonstrated theoretically and experimentally. It is shown that gravitational and thermocapillary surface hydrodynamic waves are observed in the case of a running interference pattern. The possibility of control and the stability of convective motions are investigated. Benard cells become unstable when the light intensity is high. These instabilities are of thermal origin because the Prandtl number for the medium under investigation is considerably larger than unity. The competition between the gravitational and thermocapillary mechanisms of photohydrodynamic reorientation of the nematic liquid crystal director is also studied. The effect of convective motions on the thermodynamic phase transition is observed and explained. (interaction of laser radiation with matter)

• OSTI ID: 21470257
• Journal Information: Quantum Electronics (Woodbury, N.Y.), Vol. 33, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1070/QE2003v033n01ABEH002368; ISSN 1063-7818
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ABSORPTION
ANISOTROPY
CONVECTION
EXCITATION
HYDRODYNAMICS
INSTABILITY
INTERFERENCE
LIQUID CRYSTALS
PERIODICITY
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PRANDTL NUMBER
STABILITY
SURFACES
VISIBLE RADIATION
CRYSTALS
DIMENSIONLESS NUMBERS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
FLUIDS
HEAT TRANSFER
LIQUIDS
MASS TRANSFER
MECHANICS
RADIATIONS
SORPTION
VARIATIONS