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Preparation of Free-Surface Hyperbolic Water Vortices
Published on: July 28, 2023
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Rolling spinners on the water surface
Jean-Baptiste Gorce1, Konstantin Y Bliokh2, Hua Xia1
1Research School of Physics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
Science Advances
|April 17, 2021
Summary
Fast-spinning magnetic particles create self-propelled "spinner-vortex" quasiparticles on liquid surfaces. These novel entities are guided by boundaries, offering new possibilities for micro-robotics and fluid manipulation.
Area of Science:
- Physics of complex fluids
- Soft matter physics
- Micro-robotics and active matter
Background:
- Angular momentum in spinning bodies drives interactions with various media.
- Nontrivial rotational dynamics are observed across scales, from celestial bodies to quantum particles.
- Controlled manipulation of small objects in fluids remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the self-guided propulsion of fast-spinning magnetic particles on a liquid surface.
- To explore the formation and dynamics of composite 'spinner-vortex' quasiparticles.
- To understand the role of boundaries in guiding particle motion and to assess potential applications.
Main Methods:
- Experimental observation of magnetic particles spinning on a liquid surface near a solid boundary.
- Analysis of vortex formation above a critical spinning frequency.
- Characterization of particle-vortex interactions and propulsion dynamics.
Main Results:
- Fast-spinning magnetic particles generate localized 3D vortices, forming robust 'spinner-vortex' quasiparticles.
- These quasiparticles exhibit self-guided propulsion along solid boundaries, mimicking 'liquid wheels'.
- Propulsion velocity and wall proximity are tunable via angular velocity, controlled by Magnus and wall repulsion forces.
Conclusions:
- Demonstrated a novel self-propulsion mechanism for spinning particles in fluids.
- Introduced 'spinner-vortex' quasiparticles with predictable boundary-guided dynamics.
- Proposed potential applications in surface vehicles and advanced fluid manipulation tools.
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