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Updated: May 16, 2026

High-speed Particle Image Velocimetry Near Surfaces
Published on: June 24, 2013
Kinetics of the melting front in two-dimensional plasma crystals: Complementary analysis with the particle image and
J D Williams1, E Thomas, L Couëdel
1Department of Physics, Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio 45504, USA. jwilliams@wittenberg.edu
Abstract:
Melting of a two-dimensional plasma crystal occurring due to a mode-coupling instability is studied using particle tracking and particle image velocimetry techniques. By combining these techniques, it is possible to identify the location of a propagating melting front and find a characteristic scale length for the temperature gradient across the front. It is found that the measurements of heat transport are consistent with a simple two-dimensional model allowing us to estimate the thermal diffusivity. The measured values for the thermal diffusivity are consistent with previously measured values.
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