Communication: Mode bifurcation of droplet motion under stationary laser irradiation

Journal Article · Thu Aug 07 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Chemical Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4892085· OSTI ID:22419974

Takabatake, Fumi ^[1]; Yoshikawa, Kenichi ^[2]; Ichikawa, Masatoshi ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan)
2. Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394 (Japan)

The self-propelled motion of a mm-sized oil droplet floating on water, induced by a local temperature gradient generated by CW laser irradiation is reported. The circular droplet exhibits two types of regular periodic motion, reciprocal and circular, around the laser spot under suitable laser power. With an increase in laser power, a mode bifurcation from rectilinear reciprocal motion to circular motion is caused. The essential aspects of this mode bifurcation are discussed in terms of spontaneous symmetry-breaking under temperature-induced interfacial instability, and are theoretically reproduced with simple coupled differential equations.

• OSTI ID: 22419974
• Journal Information: Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 141, Issue 5; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9606
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BIFURCATION
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
DROPLETS
LASER RADIATION
LASERS
OILS
SYMMETRY BREAKING
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS