Session V37: Focus Session: Microfluidic Physics IV: Particles, Drops, and Mixing
11:15 AM–2:15 PM, Thursday, March 24, 2005
LACC Room: 512
Sponsoring Unit:
DFD
Chair: Darren Link, Rain Dance Technologies
Abstract ID: BAPS.2005.MAR.V37.11
Abstract: V37.00011 : Formation of nanoscale structures through driven flow of nano-particles in microchannels
1:15 PM–1:27 PM
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Abstract 
Authors:
Rolf Verberg
(University of Pittsburgh)
Julia Yeomans
(Oxford University)
Anna Balazs
(University of Pittsburgh)
Using a computational model, we consider an isothermal binary fluid that contains tracer particles, which are advected by the fluid within a microchannel. The flow is modeled directly using a Lattice Boltzmann algorithm for a binary fluid. We then introduce nanoparticles that travel along trajectories that obey a stochastic differential equation, such that the concentration of nanoparticles in the bulk obeys a standard convection-diffusion equation. To simulate the affinity of the nanoparticles to one of the components, we modified the stochastic diffusion equation in order to include a drift term that contains the gradient of the order parameter. Reactions with the solid boundaries will be incorporated by introducing a reaction probability when the particle's trajectory crosses the solid-fluid surface. The results provide guidelines for creating microfluidic devices with surfaces that contain well-controlled spatial patterns on the nanometer to micron range.
To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2005.MAR.V37.11