Stability of two layers dielectric-electrolyte microflow subjected to an alternating external electric field.

Abstract

The stability of the electroosmotic flow of the two-phase system electrolyte-dielectric with a free interface in the microchannel under an external electric field is examined theoretically. The mathematical model includes the Nernst-Plank equations for the ion concentrations. The linear stability of the 1D nonstationary solution with respect to the small, periodic perturbations along the channel, is studied. Two types of instability have been highlighted. The first is known as the long-wave instability and is connected with the distortion of the free charge on the interface. In the long-wave area, the results are in good agreement with the ones obtained theoretically and experimentally in the literature. The second type of instability is a short-wave and mostly connected with the disturbance of the electrolyte conductivity. The short-wave type of instability has not been found previously in the literature and constitutes the basis and the strength of the present work. It is revealed that with the increase of the external electric field frequency, the 1D flow is stabilized. The dependence of the flow on the other parameters of the system is qualitatively the same as for the constant electric field.