2,390 research outputs found
Determination of the zeta potential for highly charged colloidal suspensions
We compute the electrostatic potential at the surface, or zeta potential
, of a charged particle embedded in a colloidal suspension using a
hybrid mesoscopic model. We show that for weakly perturbing electric fields,
the value of obtained at steady state during electrophoresis is
statistically indistinguishable from in thermodynamic equilibrium. We
quantify the effect of counterions concentration on . We also evaluate
the relevance of the lattice resolution for the calculation of and
discuss how to identify the effective electrostatic radius.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures with 2 panel
Separation of suspended particles by arrays of obstacles in microfluidic devices
The stochastic transport of suspended particles through a periodic pattern of
obstacles in microfluidic devices is investigated by means of the Fokker-Planck
equation. Asymmetric arrays of obstacles have been shown to induce the
continuous separation of DNA molecules of different length. The analysis
presented here of the asymptotic distribution of particles in a unit cell of
these systems shows that separation is only possible in the presence of a
driving force with a non-vanishing normal component at the surface of the solid
obstacles. In addition, vector separation, in which different species move, in
average, in different directions within the device, is driven by differences on
the force acting on the various particles and not by differences in the
diffusion coefficient. Monte-Carlo simulations performed for different
particles and force fields agree with the numerical solutions of the
Fokker-Planck equation in the periodic system
Velocity fluctuations and hydrodynamic diffusion in sedimentation
We study non-equilibrium velocity fluctuations in a model for the
sedimentation of non-Brownian particles experiencing long-range hydrodynamic
interactions. The complex behavior of these fluctuations, the outcome of the
collective dynamics of the particles, exhibits many of the features observed in
sedimentation experiments. In addition, our model predicts a final relaxation
to an anisotropic (hydrodynamic) diffusive state that could be observed in
experiments performed over longer time ranges.Comment: 7 pages, 5 EPS figures, EPL styl
Correlated dynamics of inclusions in a supported membrane
The hydrodynamic theory of heterogeneous fluid membranes is extended to the
case of a membrane adjacent to a solid substrate. We derive the coupling
diffusion coefficients of pairs of membrane inclusions in the limit of large
separation compared to the inclusion size. Two-dimensional compressive stresses
in the membrane make the coupling coefficients decay asymptotically as
with interparticle distance . For the common case, where the distance to the
substrate is of sub-micron scale, we present expressions for the coupling
between distant disklike inclusions, which are valid for arbitrary inclusion
size. We calculate the effect of inclusions on the response of the membrane and
the associated corrections to the coupling diffusion coefficients to leading
order in the concentration of inclusions. While at short distances the response
is modified as if the membrane were a two-dimensional suspension, the
large-distance response is not renormalized by the inclusions.Comment: 15 page
The Electric Double Layer Structure Around Charged Spherical Interfaces
We derive a formally simple approximate analytical solution to the
Poisson-Boltzmann equation for the spherical system via a geometric mapping.
Its regime of applicability in the parameter space of the spherical radius and
the surface potential is determined, and its superiority over the linearized
solution is demonstrated.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Investigation of -dependent dynamical heterogeneity in a colloidal gel by x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy
We use time-resolved X-Photon Correlation Spectroscopy to investigate the
slow dynamics of colloidal gels made of moderately attractive carbon black
particles. We show that the slow dynamics is temporally heterogeneous and
quantify its fluctuations by measuring the variance of the instantaneous
intensity correlation function. The amplitude of dynamical fluctuations has a
non-monotonic dependence on scattering vector , in stark contrast with
recent experiments on strongly attractive colloidal gels [Duri and Cipelletti,
\textit{Europhys. Lett.} \textbf{76}, 972 (2006)]. We propose a simple scaling
argument for the -dependence of fluctuations in glassy systems that
rationalizes these findings.Comment: Final version published in PR
Self-assembly of the simple cubic lattice with an isotropic potential
Conventional wisdom presumes that low-coordinated crystal ground states
require directional interactions. Using our recently introduced optimization
procedure to achieve self-assembly of targeted structures (Phys. Rev. Lett. 95,
228301 (2005), Phys. Rev. E 73, 011406 (2006)), we present an isotropic pair
potential for a three-dimensional many-particle system whose classical
ground state is the low-coordinated simple cubic (SC) lattice. This result is
part of an ongoing pursuit by the authors to develop analytical and
computational tools to solve statistical-mechanical inverse problems for the
purpose of achieving targeted self-assembly. The purpose of these methods is to
design interparticle interactions that cause self-assembly of technologically
important target structures for applications in photonics, catalysis,
separation, sensors and electronics. We also show that standard approximate
integral-equation theories of the liquid state that utilize pair correlation
function information cannot be used in the reverse mode to predict the correct
simple cubic potential. We report in passing optimized isotropic potentials
that yield the body-centered cubic and simple hexagonal lattices, which provide
other examples of non-close-packed structures that can be assembled using
isotropic pair interactions.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in Physical Review
Electrophoresis of a polyelectrolyte through a nanopore
A hydrodynamic model for determining the electrophoretic speed of a
polyelectrolyte through a nanopore is presented. It is assumed that the speed
is determined by a balance of electrical and viscous forces arising from within
the pore and that classical continuum electrostatics and hydrodynamics may be
considered applicable. An explicit formula for the translocation speed as a
function of the pore geometry and other physical parameters is obtained and is
shown to be consistent with experimental measurements on DNA translocation
through nanopores in silicon membranes. Experiments also show a weak dependence
of the translocation speed on polymer length that is not accounted for by the
present model. It is hypothesized that this is due to secondary effects that
are neglected here.Comment: 5 pages, 2 column, 2 figure
Surface-mediated attraction between colloids
We investigate the equilibrium properties of a colloidal solution in contact
with a soft interface. As a result of symmetry breaking, surface effects are
generally prevailing in confined colloidal systems. In this Letter, particular
emphasis is given to surface fluctuations and their consequences on the local
(re)organization of the suspension. It is shown that particles experience a
significant effective interaction in the vicinity of the interface. This
potential of mean force is always attractive, with range controlled by the
surface correlation length. We suggest that, under some circumstances,
surface-induced attraction may have a strong influence on the local particle
distribution
Structure of a liquid crystalline fluid around a macroparticle: Density functional theory study
The structure of a molecular liquid, in both the nematic liquid crystalline
and isotropic phases, around a cylindrical macroparticle, is studied using
density functional theory. In the nematic phase the structure of the fluid is
highly anisotropic with respect to the director, in agreement with results from
simulation and phenomenological theories. On going into the isotropic phase the
structure becomes rotationally invariant around the macroparticle with an
oriented layer at the surface.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figues. Submitted to Phys. Rev.
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