Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Visible-light Induced Reduction of Graphene Oxide Using Plasmonic Nanoparticle
Published on: September 22, 2015
Light-induced self-thermophoresis of Janus spheroidal nanoparticles
1School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tel-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Abstract:
A theoretical framework is provided for determining the self-thermophoretic velocity of a light irradiated spheroidal Janus nanoparticle consisting of symmetric dielectric and perfectly conducting semi-spheroids. The analysis is based on solving the linearized Joule heating problem due to uniform laser irradiance and on explicitly determining the temperature fields inside and outside the particle. We employ the thermoelectric (Peltier- Seebeck) methodology to find the surface self - induced temperature gradient and the related slip velocity which determines the autonomous phoretic (self - propulsion) mobility of the Janus particle. Simplified explicit expressions for the self - thermophoretic velocities of spheroidal (prolate and oblate) Janus particles in terms of their aspect ratios are found and few practical limiting cases (i.e., sphere, disk and needle) are also discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Light Acquisition
Light as Energy
Photons
A photon is a discrete electromagnetic particle or bundle of energy. Photons are characterized by their frequency, wavelength, and amplitude, similar to the properties of a wave. Waves with higher frequencies transmit more energy and have shorter wavelengths than longer wavelengths that transmit...
The Wave Nature of Light
Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light
Focusing of Light in the Eye
Induced-fit Model
Enzymes exhibit substrate specificity, meaning that they can only bind to certain substrates. This is mainly determined by the shape and chemical...

