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Coalescence of crystalline drops
R Ishiguro1, F Graner, E Rolley
1Laboratoire de Physique Statistique de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, associé aux Universités Paris 6 et Paris 7 et au CNRS, 24 rue Lhomond, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France.
Physical Review Letters
|December 17, 2004
Summary
We studied the unique coalescence of helium-3 (3He) crystals, finding surface mobility governs the process, not fluid dynamics. The neck radius grows as t(1/3), differing from other models.
Area of Science:
- Low-temperature physics
- Materials science
Background:
- Coalescence dynamics are typically dominated by viscous or inertial forces.
- Understanding surface-driven phenomena is crucial for various physical systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate drop coalescence governed solely by surface geometry and mobility.
- To explore the physics of helium-3 (3He) crystals at low temperatures.
Main Methods:
- Experimental analysis of 3He crystal drop coalescence near 0.32 K.
- Observation of neck formation and shape evolution during coalescence.
Main Results:
- Coalescence occurs for identical crystalline orientations, with neck formation and rapid shape evolution.
- Observed neck radius growth follows t(1/3), consistent with Maris's prediction.
- This behavior differs from logarithmic and t(1/2) predictions for other coalescence regimes.
Conclusions:
- Surface mobility, not bulk dissipation or inertia, governs 3He crystal drop coalescence under specific conditions.
- The t(1/3) neck growth is a distinct signature of this surface-dominated regime.
- Findings have implications for superfluid drops and other surface-driven phenomena.