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Investigating the Three-dimensional Flow Separation Induced by a Model Vocal Fold Polyp
Published on: February 3, 2014
Fluid phase separation inside a static periodic field: an effectively two-dimensional critical phenomenon.
Richard L C Vink1, Tim Neuhaus, Hartmut Löwen
1Institute of Theoretical Physics, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany. rlcvink@gmail.com
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|June 7, 2011
Summary
A novel "zebra" phase emerges in fluids subjected to periodic fields, leading to critical phase transitions. Critical correlations confine fluids to effectively two dimensions, a phenomenon observed in colloid-polymer mixtures.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Soft Matter Physics
- Thermodynamics
Background:
- Fluids near a critical point exhibit unique phase behaviors.
- External fields can influence fluid phase transitions.
- Laser-induced condensation is a known phenomenon affecting fluid phases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the nature of critical points in a fluid under static periodic fields.
- To investigate the emergence of the novel "zebra" phase.
- To analyze the dimensionality of critical correlations.
Main Methods:
- Density functional theory.
- Computer simulations of a colloid-polymer mixture.
- Analysis of phase transitions and critical phenomena.
Main Results:
- A new "zebra" phase with intermediate density arises.
- Two new phase transitions (vapor-zebra and liquid-zebra) are identified.
- Critical correlations are confined to two-dimensional sheets, effectively reducing dimensionality.
Conclusions:
- Static periodic fields can confine fluids to effectively two dimensions.
- The vapor-zebra and liquid-zebra transitions become first-order away from criticality.
- Extremely small surface tensions influence two-phase coexistence regions.
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