Interface Fluctuations Research Articles

1/fα power spectrum in the Kardar–Parisi–Zhang universality class

The power spectrum of interface fluctuations in the (1 + 1)-dimensional Kardar–Parisi–Zhang (KPZ) universality class is studied both experimentally and numerically. A -type spectrum is found and characterized through a set of ‘critical exponents’ for the power spectrum. The recently formulated aging Wiener–Khinchin theorem accounts for the observed exponents. Interestingly, the spectrum in the KPZ class turns out to contain information on a universal distribution function characterizing the asymptotic state of the KPZ interfaces, namely the Baik–Rains universal variance. It is indeed observed in the presented data, both experimental and numerical, and in both circular and flat interfaces in the long time limit.

In-situ detection of growth striations by crystallization electromotive force measurement during Czochralski crystal growth

Growth striations, as macrodefects of crystalline materials, are mainly caused by convection and temperature fluctuations in growth interface. For decades, striations have been widely regarded as an inherent problem. Even in the well-developed Czochralski method, the striation formation process is difficult to inspect in situ. In view of this long-standing issue, after systematically studying the temperature, weight, and output power during crystal growth and numerically modeling the growth process, we found that the regularity of the growth interface electromotive force (GEMF) is related to the distribution of striations. Furthermore, the GEMF quantifies interface fluctuations (711.2s, 16.6μm) and thermal hysteresis (107s), presenting finer details than those provided by a thermocouple and a load cell. In this paper, GEMF is found to be an outstanding choice for monitoring the crystal growth status in real time. As an additional feedback, a new automatic control method could be developed for reducing growth striations and promoting crystal quality.

Comparative Evaluation of ANN- and SVM-Time Series Models for Predicting Freshwater-Saltwater Interface Fluctuations

Time series models based on an artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) were designed to predict the temporal variation of the upper and lower freshwater-saltwater interface level (FSL) at a groundwater observatory on Jeju Island, South Korea. Input variables included past measurement data of tide level (T), rainfall (R), groundwater level (G) and interface level (F). The T-R-G-F type ANN and SVM models were selected as the best performance model for the direct prediction of the upper and lower FSL, respectively. The recursive prediction ability of the T-R-G type SVM model was best for both upper and lower FSL. The average values of the performance criteria and the analysis of error ratio of recursive prediction to direct prediction (RP-DP ratio) show that the SVM-based time series model of the FSL prediction is more accurate and stable than the ANN at the study site.

An InAs/high-k/low-k structure: Electron transport and interface analysis

We fabricated and investigated an InAs/high-k/low-k structure in comparison with an InAs/low-k structure, where the former and the latter are respectively obtained by bonding of InAs/Al2O3/AlN and InAs on low-k flexible substrates (FS). The InAs/high-k/low-k (InAs/Al2O3/AlN/FS) exhibits electron mobilities immune to interface fluctuation scattering, whereas this scattering is serious for the InAs/low-k (InAs/FS). Moreover, we find that electron sheet concentrations in the InAs/high-k/low-k are significantly higher than those in the InAs/low-k. From InAs/Al2O3 interface analysis by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy, we find that the higher electron concentrations can be attributed to natural modulation doping from Al2O3 to InAs.

Investigating Diffusing on Highly Curved Water–Oil Interface Using Three-Dimensional Single Particle Tracking

Diffusion on highly curved surfaces is important to many industrial and biological processes. Despite the progress made in theoretical studies, how diffusion is affected by the curvature is unclear due to experimental challenges. Here, we measured the trajectories of polystyrene nanoparticles diffusing on highly curved water-silicone oil interface, where the oil droplet diameter ranges from several μm to as small as ∼400 nm. To analyze the diffusion coefficients on curved surface, an analytical solution developed by Castro-Villarreal containing an infinite series can be used. Through Monte Carlo simulations, we simplified the Castro-Villarreal equation and defined the conditions that satisfy corresponding approximations. For the experiments, unexpectedly, we found that the diffusion slows down significantly when the oil droplet becomes smaller. Possible reasons were discussed, and a diffusion-induced droplet deformation and interface fluctuation model is consistent with the experimental results. This study reveals an unexpected decrease of particle diffusion on small oil droplet surface and sheds new light on understanding diffusion on highly curved interface.

A Permanent Multilevel Monitoring and Sampling System in the Coastal Groundwater Mixing Zones.

To study the spatial and temporal variability of water dynamics and chemical reactions within the coastal groundwater mixing zones (CGMZs), high-resolution periodical and spatial groundwater sampling within CGMZs is needed. However, current samplers and sampling systems may require heavy driving machines to install. There is also possible contamination from the metal materials for current samplers and sampling systems. Here, a permanent multilevel sampling system is designed to sample coastal groundwater within CGMZs. This cost-effective system consists of metal-free materials and can be installed easily. The system is tested in Po Sam Pai and Tingkok, Tolo Harbor and Hong Kong. Major ions, nutrients, stable isotopes and radium and radon isotopes were analyzed and the data provided scientific information to study the fresh-saltwater interface fluctuations, and temporal variations and spatial heterogeneity of geochemical processes occurred within CGMZs. The reliable spatial and temporal data from the sampling system demonstrate that the system functions well and can provide scientific data for coastal aquifer studies.

Influence of SEN depth and port angle on vertical electromagnetic brake effects in continuous casting mould

PurposeTo effectively control the molten steel flow and the stability of free surface in continuous casting mould, this paper aims to propose a new type electromagnetic brake technique, namely, vertical electromagnetic brake (V-EMBr). Its brake effect under special processing parameters such as submerged entry nozzle (SEN) depth and port angle is evaluated by the numerical simulation methods.Design/methodology/approachA couple three-dimensional mathematical model of fluid flow and static magnetic field was developed to investigate the behaviour of molten steel flow and steel/slag interface in the continuous casting mould, and a volume of fluid model is used to track the interfacial behaviour of molten steel and liquid slag by solving the continuity equation of the phase volume fraction.FindingsThe simulation results showed that the application of V-EMBr can significantly reduce the flow intensity in upper recirculation zone and decrease the meniscus height and the flow velocity of molten steel in the vicinity of narrow side of mould, which is beneficial to reduce the possibility of mould flux entrapment. Especially, the brake effect of V-EMBr has a little affected by the SEN depth and port angle, which is helpful for V-EMBr to better adapt the actual continuous casting process.Originality/valueCompared to the conventional-level EMBr, the new proposed V-EMBr has the advantage to effectively control the molten steel flow and steel/slag interfacial fluctuation in the vicinity of narrow side of mould with a pair of magnetic fields, and its brake effect is less affected by the changes in continuous casting processing parameters.

Classical density functional study of wetting transitions on nanopatterned surfaces

Even simple fluids on simple substrates can exhibit very rich surface phase behaviour. To illustrate this, we consider fluid adsorption on a planar wall chemically patterned with a deep stripe of a different material. In this system, two phase transitions compete: unbending and pre-wetting. Using microscopic density-functional theory, we show that, for thin stripes, the lines of these two phase transitions may merge, leading to a new two-dimensional-like wetting transition occurring along the walls. The influence of intermolecular forces and interfacial fluctuations on this phase transition and at complete pre-wetting are considered in detail.

Interface stability, interface fluctuations, and the Gibbs-Thomson relationship in motility-induced phase separations.

Minimal models of self-propelled particles with short-range volume exclusion interactions have been shown to exhibit the signatures of phase separation. Here I show that the observed interfacial stability and fluctuations in motility-induced phase separations (MIPS) can be explained by modeling the microscopic dynamics of the active particles in the interfacial region. In addition, I demonstrate the validity of the Gibbs-Thomson relationship in MIPS, which provides a functional relationship between the size of a condensed drop and its surrounding vapor concentration. As a result, the late-stage coarsening dynamics of MIPS at vanishing supersaturation follows the classic Lifshitz-Slyozov scaling law.

Study on the Instability of Two-Phase Flow in the Heat-Absorbing Tube of Trough Solar Collector

The Marangoni effect and Rayleigh-Benard effect in the two-phase region of solar trough heat-absorbing tube are simulated by FTM (front tracking method). Considering the Marangoni effect alone, although surface tension gradient and surface tension affect the interface wave, the two effects have different characteristics. The surface tension gradient caused by the temperature gradient is one of the factors that swing the interface. The amplitude attenuation of the interface wave decreases with the increase of the Marangoni number (Ma). In general, the surface tension gradient enhances the convection opposite to the temperature gradient. Under the gravity field, the Rayleigh-Benard effect influences the development of the vortex structure in the flow field, which in turn affects the velocity gradient near the interface to influence the evolution of the interface fluctuation. In a small Rayleigh number (Ra), the buoyancy convection reduces the velocity gradient, thus suppressing the evolution of the interfacial wave. In the range of Ra < 4.0E4, the larger the Ra, the stronger the inhibitory effect. However, when the Ra number is large (Ra > 4.0E4), the situation is just the opposite. The larger the Ra is, the stronger the promoting effect is.

Investigation of localized and delocalized excitons in ZnO/ZnS core-shell heterostructured nanowires

Abstract The localized states in ZnO nanowires (NWs) through the growth of ZnS shell have been introduced in this paper. Morphology and optical properties of the ZnO/ZnS core-shell heterostructured NWs after different rapid thermal annealing (RTA) treatments are investigated. Transmission electron microscopy measurements show the gradual disappearing of the jagged boundary between ZnO and ZnS with the increase of RTA temperature, while a decrease of interfacial composition fluctuation and a formation of ZnOS phase can be found after a RTA treatment of 300°C. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence exhibits the features of “S-shape” peak positions and a “valley shape” for the emission width, implying the existence of localized excitons in the core-shell NWs. Moreover, it is noted that the RTA treatments can lower the localized degree which is confirmed by optical measurement. The results indicate that the optical behavior of excitons in ZnO/ZnS core-shell heterostructured NWs can be manipulated by appropriate thermal treatments, which is very important for their practical device applications.

Incorporating Noise Quantitatively in the Phase Field Crystal Model via Capillary Fluctuation Theory.

A tacit assumption underlying most phase field models of nonequilibrium phase transformations is that of scale separation. Stochastic order parameter field theories utilize noise to separate atomic-scale fluctuations from the slowly varying fields that describe microstructure patterns. The mesoscale distribution of such stochastic variables is generally assumed to follow Gaussian statistics, with their magnitude following fluctuation-dissipation relations. However, there is still much debate about how atomic-scale fluctuations map onto the mesoscale upon coarse graining of microscopic theories. This Letter studies interface fluctuations in the phase field crystal (PFC) model and proposes a self-consistent method for relating how the effective noise strength and spectral filtering of the noise in the PFC model, and similar types of microscopic models, should be defined so as to attain the spectrum of mesoscale capillary fluctuations quantitatively.

Experimental investigation of interface deformation in free surface flow of concentrated suspensions

It is well known that during the free surface flow of concentrated suspension of non-colloidal particles, the suspension-air interface becomes highly corrugated. This surface corrugation changes the interfacial area which could have important implications in various applications involving heat and mass transfer across the interface. Surface corrugation in free surface flow has been studied in the past, but its mechanism is not fully understood. We report detailed experiments on quantitative measurement of the surface deformation of concentrated suspension of non-colloidal particles in open channel flow. The motion and location of the interface and the velocity field of the bulk flow beneath the free surface were measured using the particle image velocimetry technique. Experiments were performed to study the effect of particle size, particle concentration, and viscosity of suspending fluid on the corrugation. The interface fluctuation was found to increase linearly with the flow rate. The deformation of the interface increased with increase in particle concentration until an optimum concentration is reached and thereafter it decreases. Our observation supports the previous studies on surface corrugation interpreted from the power spectra of the reflected light from the interface. Suspension of larger particles and less viscous fluid gives larger deformations of the suspension-air interface. These results can be used to determine the optimum parameters to control the interfacial area in free surface flow of concentrated suspensions.

Critical heat flux and dynamics of boiling in nanofluids at stepwise heat release

In this paper results of an experimental study on critical heat flux and dynamics of boiling crisis onset in nanofluids at stepwise heat generation are presented. Freon R21 with three types of nanoparticles - SiO2, Cu and Al2O3 was used as test fluid. Critical heat fluxes and temperatures of boiling initiation were obtained. It was shown that the addition of nanoparticles increased CHF at stepwise heat generation by up to 21%. Under conditions of the experiment transition to film boiling occurred via evaporation fronts. Data on propagation velocity and structure of evaporation fronts were obtained; the spectral analysis of fluctuations of the evaporation front interface was carried out. The characteristic frequencies and amplitudes of interface fluctuations were determined depending on the velocity of evaporation front propagation. It was shown that the addition of nano-sized particles significantly affects development of interface instability and increases the front velocity.

Using Grand Canonical Monte Carlo Simulations to Understand the Role of Interfacial Fluctuations on Solvation at the Water-Vapor Interface.

The present work investigates the effect of interfacial fluctuations (predominantly capillary wave-like fluctuations) on the solvation free energy (Δμ) of a monatomic solute at the water-vapor interface. We introduce a grand-canonical-ensemble-based simulation approach that quantifies the contribution of interfacial fluctuations to Δμ. This approach is used to understand how the above contribution depends on the strength of dispersive and electrostatic solute-water interactions at the temperature of 400 K. At this temperature, we observe that interfacial fluctuations do play a role in the variation of Δμ with the strength of the electrostatic solute-water interaction. We also use grand canonical simulations to further investigate how interfacial fluctuations affect the propensity of the solute toward the water-vapor interface. To this end, we track a quantity called the interface potential (surface excess free energy) with the number of water molecules. With increasing number of water molecules, the liquid-vapor interface moves across a solute, which is kept at a fixed position in the simulation. Hence, the dependence of the interface potential on the number of waters models the process of moving the solute through the water-vapor interface. We analyze the change of the interface potential with the number of water molecules to explain that solute-induced changes in the interfacial fluctuations, like the pinning of capillary-wave-like undulations, do not play any role in the propensity of solutes toward water-vapor interfaces. The above analysis also shows that the dampening of interfacial fluctuations accompanies the adsorption of any solute at the liquid-vapor interface, irrespective of the chemical nature of the solute and solvent. However, such a correlation does not imply that dampening of fluctuations causes adsorption.

Smoothed dissipative particle dynamics model for mesoscopic multiphase flows in the presence of thermal fluctuations.

Thermal fluctuations cause perturbations of fluid-fluid interfaces and highly nonlinear hydrodynamics in multiphase flows. In this work, we develop a multiphase smoothed dissipative particle dynamics (SDPD) model. This model accounts for both bulk hydrodynamics and interfacial fluctuations. Interfacial surface tension is modeled by imposing a pairwise force between SDPD particles. We show that the relationship between the model parameters and surface tension, previously derived under the assumption of zero thermal fluctuation, is accurate for fluid systems at low temperature but overestimates the surface tension for intermediate and large thermal fluctuations. To analyze the effect of thermal fluctuations on surface tension, we construct a coarse-grained Euler lattice model based on the mean field theory and derive a semianalytical formula to directly relate the surface tension to model parameters for a wide range of temperatures and model resolutions. We demonstrate that the present method correctly models dynamic processes, such as bubble coalescence and capillary spectra across the interface.

Stochastic level-set variational implicit-solvent approach to solute-solvent interfacial fluctuations.

Recent years have seen the initial success of a variational implicit-solvent model (VISM), implemented with a robust level-set method, in capturing efficiently different hydration states and providing quantitatively good estimation of solvation free energies of biomolecules. The level-set minimization of the VISM solvation free-energy functional of all possible solute-solvent interfaces or dielectric boundaries predicts an equilibrium biomolecular conformation that is often close to an initial guess. In this work, we develop a theory in the form of Langevin geometrical flow to incorporate solute-solvent interfacial fluctuations into the VISM. Such fluctuations are crucial to biomolecular conformational changes and binding process. We also develop a stochastic level-set method to numerically implement such a theory. We describe the interfacial fluctuation through the "normal velocity" that is the solute-solvent interfacial force, derive the corresponding stochastic level-set equation in the sense of Stratonovich so that the surface representation is independent of the choice of implicit function, and develop numerical techniques for solving such an equation and processing the numerical data. We apply our computational method to study the dewetting transition in the system of two hydrophobic plates and a hydrophobic cavity of a synthetic host molecule cucurbit[7]uril. Numerical simulations demonstrate that our approach can describe an underlying system jumping out of a local minimum of the free-energy functional and can capture dewetting transitions of hydrophobic systems. In the case of two hydrophobic plates, we find that the wavelength of interfacial fluctuations has a strong influence to the dewetting transition. In addition, we find that the estimated energy barrier of the dewetting transition scales quadratically with the inter-plate distance, agreeing well with existing studies of molecular dynamics simulations. Our work is a first step toward the inclusion of fluctuations into the VISM and understanding the impact of interfacial fluctuations on biomolecular solvation with an implicit-solvent approach.

WITHDRAWN: Gas–liquid two-phase flow in serpentine microchannel with different wall properties

Gas–liquid flow in serpentine micro channel with different surface properties exhibits drastically different flow behavior. With water and air as working fluids, the method of numerical simulation analysis is based on CLSVOF (coupled level set and volume of fluid method) multiphase model. After verifying the reasonability of the model through experiment, by changing wall properties and Re number, influences of contact angle and surface roughness on flow regime and Po number were discussed. Meanwhile, we compared gas–liquid two-phase flow pattern in serpentine microchannel with a combination of different number of hydrophobic and hydrophilic wall surfaces under several typical flow conditions, and in-depth analyzed the influence of curved channel on gas liquid phase distribution and interfacial fluctuation. Beyond that, the combined effect of curve channel and wall properties on flow resistance was analyzed. This paper finds that wall properties have great influence on gas–liquid flow in micro channels not only on flow regime but also flow characteristics. It is more beneficial for fluid flowing when the straight part of micro channel is hydrophilic smooth wall, and curve part is hydrophobic wall with larger roughness.

Complete prewetting

We study continuous interfacial transitions, analagous to two-dimensional complete wetting, associated with the first-order prewetting line, which can occur on steps, patterned walls, grooves and wedges, and which are sensitive to both the range of the intermolecular forces and interfacial fluctuation effects. These transitions compete with wetting, filling and condensation producing very rich phase diagrams even for relatively simple prototypical geometries. Using microscopic classical density functional theory to model systems with realistic Lennard-Jones fluid–fluid and fluid–substrate intermolecular potentials, we compute mean-field fluid density profiles, adsorption isotherms and phase diagrams for a variety of confining geometries.

Shear melting at the crystal-liquid interface: Erosion and the asymmetric suppression of interface fluctuations.

The influence of an applied shear on the planar crystal-melt interface is modeled by a nonlinear stochastic partial differential equation of the interface fluctuations. A feature of this theory is the asymmetric destruction of interface fluctuations due to advection of the crystal protrusions on the liquid side of the interface only. We show that this model is able to qualitatively reproduce the nonequilibrium coexistence line found in simulations. The impact of shear on spherical clusters is also addressed.