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Heat-Induced Liquid Hovering in Liquid-Gas Coexistence under Gravity
Akira Yoshida1, Naoko Nakagawa1, Shin-Ichi Sasa2
1Department of Physics, <a href="https://ror.org/00sjd5653">Ibaraki University</a>, Mito 310-8512, Japan.
Physical Review Letters
|September 27, 2024
Summary
Liquid floats upward against gravity in a heat flow system. Its stable height depends on temperature gradient and gravity ratio, with supercooled gas remaining stable above.
Area of Science:
- Thermodynamics
- Fluid dynamics
- Statistical mechanics
Background:
- Understanding liquid-gas coexistence is crucial for various physical phenomena.
- Gravity and heat flow significantly influence phase behavior in confined systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the behavior of a liquid-gas coexistence system under opposing gravity and heat flow.
- To determine the factors controlling the steady-state height of the floating liquid.
- To confirm the stability of supercooled gas in this configuration.
Main Methods:
- Molecular dynamics simulations were employed to model the system.
- Analysis focused on the liquid-gas interface dynamics and phase stability.
- A dimensionless parameter was derived to characterize the liquid's floating height.
Main Results:
- The liquid phase was observed to buoy up and float steadily against gravity.
- The floating height is governed by a dimensionless parameter linking temperature gradient and gravitational force.
- Supercooled gas was confirmed to remain stable above the liquid layer.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates a counter-intuitive upward buoyancy of liquid in a specific thermal gradient and gravitational field.
- A phenomenological thermodynamic argument explains the observed liquid flotation.
- The findings offer insights into phase behavior under non-standard conditions.
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