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Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles
Published on: February 4, 2013
Dynamic self-assembly and patterns in electrostatically driven granular media
M V Sapozhnikov1, Y V Tolmachev, I S Aranson
1Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|April 12, 2003
Summary
Metallic microparticles in a liquid self-assemble into novel phases like honeycombs and vortices under an electric field. These structures arise from interactions between charged particles and fluid flow.
Area of Science:
- Soft Matter Physics
- Complex Fluids
- Electrohydrodynamics
Background:
- Granular media exhibit complex behaviors when subjected to external fields.
- Understanding self-assembly in multiphase systems is crucial for materials science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the self-assembly of metallic microparticles in a poorly conducting liquid under a strong DC electric field.
- To identify and characterize novel phases formed by these granular media.
Main Methods:
- Experimental observation of microparticle behavior in an electric field.
- Analysis of static and dynamic structures formed by the granular media.
Main Results:
- Observed self-assembly into diverse novel phases, including static precipitates (honeycombs, Wigner crystals) and dynamic condensates (toroidal vortices, pulsating rings).
- These structures result from the interplay between the charged granular gas and electrohydrodynamic convective flows.
Conclusions:
- The study reveals a rich variety of self-assembled phases in electrically driven granular media.
- Electrohydrodynamics and charged granular gas interactions are key mechanisms governing these complex structures.
