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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Measuring the Interaction Force Between a Droplet and a Super-hydrophobic Substrate by the Optical Lever Method
Published on: June 14, 2019
Effects of the positioning force of electrostatic levitators on viscosity measurements
Takehiko Ishikawa1, Paul-François Paradis, Noriyuki Koike
1Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan. ishikawa.takehiko@jaxa.jp
Abstract:
Electrostatic levitators use strong electric fields to levitate and accurately position a sample against gravity. In this study, the effects of the electric field are investigated with regard to viscosity measurements conducted with the oscillating drop method. The effects of the external field on viscosity measurements are experimentally confirmed by changing the sample size. Moreover, a numerical simulation based on a simple mass-spring-damper system can reproduce the experimental observations. Based on the above results, measurement procedures are improved. These help to minimize the effect of the positioning force and to increase the accuracy of the viscosity measurements.
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