Thermocapillary motion and its significance with regard the thermal behavior of heat sources and with particular reference to radioactive particles suspended at the surface of fluids is discussed. It is shown that because the radial temperature profile surrounding the hot particle, a thermocapillary flow is induced with the viscous liquid flowing outwards from the particle and then with a drag force propelling the surrounding suspended material away from the hot particle with the formation of a diffusive ring. Utilizing a simplified physical model, it was found a power-law for the concentration of particles surrounding the hot particle. The formation of such a ring may be important as a visual technique to detect or unveil the presence of radioactive particles or as a new method for detection under controlled conditions. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed which agree qualitatively and quantitatively with the analytical model.
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