Dispersion of imbibition fronts

We have studied the dispersive behaviour of imbibition fronts in a porous medium by X-ray tomography. Injection velocities were varied and the porous medium was initially prewetted or not. At low velocity in the prewetted medium, the imbibition profiles are found to be distinctly hyperdispersive. The profiles are anomalously extended when compared to tracer fronts exhibiting conventional (Gaussian) dispersion. We observe a strong velocity dependence of the exponent characterizing the divergence of the dispersion coefficient for low wetting-fluid saturation. Hyperdispersion is absent at high imbibition velocities or when the medium is not prewetted.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures; submitted to Europhysics Letter

Elongation of confined ferrofluid droplets under applied fields

Ferrofluids are strongly paramagnetic liquids. We study the behavior of ferrofluid droplets confined between two parallel plates with a weak applied field parallel to the plates. The droplets elongate under the applied field to reduce their demagnetizing energy and reach an equilibrium shape where the magnetic forces balance against the surface tension. This elongation varies logarithmically with aspect ratio of droplet thickness to its original radius, in contrast to the behavior of unconfined droplets. Experimental studies of a ferrofluid/water/surfactant emulsion confirm this prediction.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Capillary-gravity wave resistance in ordinary and magnetic fluids

Wave resistance is the drag force associated to the emission of waves by a moving disturbance at a fluid free surface. In the case of capillary-gravity waves it undergoes a transition from zero to a finite value as the speed of the disturbance is increased. For the first time an experiment is designed in order to obtain the wave resistance as a function of speed. The effect of viscosity is explored, and a magnetic fluid is used to extend the available range of critical speeds. The threshold values are in good agreement with the proposed theory. Contrary to the theoretical model, however, the measured wave resistance reveals a non monotonic speed dependence after the threshold.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, submitted to Physical Review Letter

Capillary-gravity waves: The effect of viscosity on the wave resistance

The effect of viscosity on the wave resistance experienced by a 2d perturbation moving at uniform velocity over the free surface of a fluid is investigated. The analysis is based on Rayleigh's linearized theory of capillary-gravity waves. It is shown in particular that the wave resistance remains bounded as the velocity of the perturbation approches the minimun phase speed, unlike what is predicted by the inviscid theory.Comment: Europhysics Letters, in pres

Threshold Resonant Structure of the 232Th Neutron-Induced Fission Cross Section

The structures observed in the sub-threshold neutron-induced fission of ^{232}Th were investigated employing a recent developed model. Theoretical single-particle excitations of a phenomenological two-humped barrier are determined by solving a system of coupled differential equations for the motion along the optimal fission path. A rather good agreement with experimental data was obtained using a small number of independent parameters. It is predicted that the structure at 1.4 and 1.6 MeV is mainly dominated by spin 3/2 partial cross-section with small admixture of spin 1/2, while the structure at 1.7 MeV is given by a large partial cross section of spin 5/2.Comment: 17 pages 11 figure

Wave Number of Maximal Growth in Viscous Magnetic Fluids of Arbitrary Depth

An analytical method within the frame of linear stability theory is presented for the normal field instability in magnetic fluids. It allows to calculate the maximal growth rate and the corresponding wave number for any combination of thickness and viscosity of the fluid. Applying this method to magnetic fluids of finite depth, these results are quantitatively compared to the wave number of the transient pattern observed experimentally after a jump--like increase of the field. The wave number grows linearly with increasing induction where the theoretical and the experimental data agree well. Thereby a long-standing controversy about the behaviour of the wave number above the critical magnetic field is tackled.Comment: 19 pages, 15 figures, RevTex; revised version with a new figure and references added. submitted to Phys Rev

High frequency poroelastic waves in hydrogels

In this work a continuum model for high frequency poroelastic longitudinal waves in hydrogels is presented. A viscoelastic force describing the interaction between the polymer network and the bounded water present in such materials is introduced. The model is tested by means of ultrasound wave speed and attenuation measurements in polyvinylalcohol hydrogel samples. The theory and experiments show that ultrasound attenuation decreases linearly with the increase of the water volume fraction "{\beta}" of the hydrogel. The introduction of the viscoelastic force between the bounded water and the polymer network leads to a bi-phasic theory showing an ultrasonic fast wave attenuation that can vary as a function of the frequency with a non-integer exponent in agreement with the experimental data in literature. When {\beta} tends to 1 (100% of interstitial water) due to the presence of bounded water in the hydrogel, the ultrasound phase velocity acquires higher value than that of pure water. The ultrasound speed gap at {\beta} = 1 is confirmed by the experimental results that show that it increases in less cross-linked gel samples that own a higher concentration of bounded water

Nucleation and Collapse of the Superconducting Phase in Type-I Superconducting Films

The phase transition between the intermediate and normal states in type-I superconducting films is investigated using magneto-optical imaging. Magnetic hysteresis with different transition fields for collapse and nucleation of superconducting domains is found. This is accompanied by topological hysteresis characterized by the collapse of circular domains and the appearance of lamellar domains. Magnetic hysteresis is shown to arise from supercooled and superheated states. Domain-shape instability resulting from long-range magnetic interaction accounts well for topological hysteresis. Connection with similar effects in systems with long-range magnetic interactions is emphasized

Axisymmetric solitary waves on the surface of a ferrofluid

We report the first observation of axisymmetric solitary waves on the surface of a cylindrical magnetic fluid layer surrounding a current-carrying metallic tube. According to the ratio between the magnetic and capillary forces, both elevation and depression solitary waves are observed with profiles in good agreement with theoretical predictions based on the magnetic analogue of the Korteweg-deVries equation. We also report the first measurements of the velocity and the dispersion relation of axisymmetric linear waves propagating on the cylindrical ferrofluid layer that are found in good agreement with theoretical predictions.Comment: to be published in Phys. Rev. Let