Experiments showing dynamics of materials interfaces
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States). Dynamic Experimentation Div.
The discipline of materials science and engineering often involves understanding and controlling properties of interfaces. The authors address the challenge of educating students about properties of interfaces, particularly dynamic properties and effects of unstable interfaces. A series of simple, inexpensive, hands-on activities about fluid interfaces provides students with a testbed to develop intuition about interface dynamics. The experiments highlight the essential role of initial interfacial perturbations in determining the dynamic response of the interface. The experiments produce dramatic, unexpected effects when initial perturbations are controlled and inhibited. These activities help students to develop insight about unstable interfaces that can be applied to analogous problems in materials science and engineering. The lessons examine ``Rayleigh-Taylor instability,`` an interfacial instability that occurs when a higher-density fluid is above a lower-density fluid.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 432970
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-97-201; CONF-9610169-3; ON: DE97002457; TRN: AHC29704%%86
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 11. annual national educator`s workshop on standard experiments in engineering materials, science and technology, Los Alamos, NM (United States), 27-30 Oct 1996; Other Information: PBD: [1997]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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