Pattern selection in an anisotropic Hele-Shaw cell

Journal Article · Wed Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1995 · Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.51.1184· OSTI ID:6869630

McCloud, K V; Maher, J V ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260 (United States)

The selection of steady-state viscous fingers has been measured in Hele-Shaw cells that are perturbed by having rectangular and square lattices etched on one of their plates. The strength of the perturbation was varied by varying the cell gap, and over a wide range of observable tip velocities this local perturbation was also made microscopic in the sense that the capillary length of the flow was large in comparison to the cell size of the underlying lattice. Above threshold the microscopic perturbation results in the selection of wider fingers than those selected in the unperturbed flow for all channel orientations in the experiment. All observed solutions are symmetric, centered in the channel, and have the relation between tip curvature and finger width expected of members of the Saffman-Taylor family of solutions. Selected solutions narrow again at tip velocities where the perturbations can no longer be considered microscopic.

• DOE Contract Number: FG02-84ER45131
• OSTI ID: 6869630
• Journal Information: Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics; (United States) Vol. 51:2; ISSN PLEEE8; ISSN 1063-651X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661300* -- Other Aspects of Physical Science-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALKANES
ANISOTROPY
CAPILLARY FLOW
CONFIGURATION
FLUID FLOW
HYDROCARBONS
INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOW
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PARAFFIN
RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION
SQUARE CONFIGURATION
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SURFACE TENSION
VISCOUS FLOW
WAXES