Active microrheology of smectic membranes
- Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States). Dept. of Physics. Soft Materials Research Center; DOE/OSTI
- Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States). Dept. of Physics. Soft Materials Research Center
- Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States). Dept. of Physics
- California Polytechnic State Univ. (CalPoly), San Luis Obispo, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics
- Brown Univ., Providence, RI (United States). School of Engineering. Dept. of Physics
Thin fluid membranes embedded in a bulk fluid of different viscosity are of fundamental interest as experimental realizations of quasi-two-dimensional fluids and as models of biological membranes. We have probed the hydrodynamics of thin fluid membranes by active microrheology using small tracer particles to observe the highly anisotropic flow fields generated around a rigid oscillating post inserted into a freely suspended smectic liquid crystal film that is surrounded by air. In general, at distances more than a few Saffman lengths from the meniscus around the post, the measured velocities are larger than the flow computed by modeling a moving disklike inclusion of finite extent by superposing Levine-MacKintosh response functions for pointlike inclusions in a viscous membrane. The observed discrepancy is attributed to additional coupling of the film with the air below the film that is displaced directly by the shaft of the moving post.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FG02-08ER54995
- OSTI ID:
- 1536410
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1344614
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review E, Journal Name: Physical Review E Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 95; ISSN 2470-0045
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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