arXiv subjects

Justin C. Burton

Publications and source records attributed to Justin C. Burton.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Pore-size dependence and slow relaxation of hydrogel friction on smooth surfaces

Hydrogel consists of a crosslinked polymer matrix imbibed with a solvent such as water at volume fractions that can exceed 90\%. They are important in many scientific and engineering applications due to their tunable physiochemical properties, bio-compatibility, and ultra-low friction. Their multiphase structure leads to a complex interfacial rheology, yet a detailed, microscopic understanding of hydrogel friction is still emerging. Using a custom-built tribometer, here we identify three distinct regimes of frictional behavior for polyacrylic acid (PAA), polyacrylamide (PAAm), and agarose hydrogel spheres on smooth surfaces. We find that at low velocities, friction is controlled by hydrodynamic flow through the porous hydrogel network, and is inversely proportional to the characteristic pore size. At high velocities, a mesoscopic, lubricating liquid film forms between the gel and surface that obeys elastohydrodynamic theory. Between these regimes, the frictional force decreases by an order of magnitude and displays slow relaxation over several minutes. Our results can be interpreted as an interfacial shear thinning of the polymers with an increasing relaxation time due to the confinement of entanglements. This transition can be tuned by varying the solvent salt concentration, solvent viscosity, and sliding geometry at the interface.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2020

Tuning contact line dynamics and deposition patterns in volatile liquid mixtures

The spreading of a pure, volatile liquid on a wettable substrate has been studied in extensive detail. Here we show that the addition of a miscible, non-volatile liquid can strongly alter the contact line dynamics and the final liquid deposition pattern. We observe two distinct regimes of behavior depending on the relative strength of solutal Marangoni forces and surface wetting. Finger-like instabilities precede the deposition of a sub-micron thick film for large Marangoni forces and small solute contact angles, whereas isolated, pearl-like drops emerge and are deposited in quasi-crystalline patterns for small Marangoni forces and large solute contact angles. This behavior can be tuned by directly varying the contact angle of the solute liquid on the solid substrate.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2020

Intermittent "Turbulence" in a Many-body System

In natural settings, intermittent dynamics are ubiquitous and often arise from a coupling between external driving and spatial heterogeneities. A well-known example is the generation of transient, turbulent puffs of fluid through a pipe with rough walls. Here we show how similar dynamics can emerge in a discrete, crystalline system of particles driven by noise. Polydispersity in particle masses leads to localized vibrational modes that effectuate a transition to a gas-like phase. A minimal model for the evolution of the system's mechanical energies exhibits quasi-cyclic oscillations, and a single, dimensionless number captures the essential features of the intermittent dynamics, analogous to the Reynolds number for pipe flow.

nlin.AO↗

arXiv2019

How to make a giant bubble

Using mixtures of soap, water, and long chain polymers, free-floating soap bubbles can be formed with volumes approaching 100 m$^3$. Here we investigate how such thin films are created and maintained over time. We show how the extensional rheology is the most important factor in creating the bubble, and how polydispersity in molecular weight of the solvated polymers leads to better performance at lower concentrations. Additionally, using IR absorption, we measure soap film thickness profiles and film lifetimes. Although the initial thickness mostly depends on the choice of detergent, polymers can dramatically increase film lifetime at high molecular weights and high concentrations, although such high concentrations can inhibit the initial film formation. Thus, the ideal concentration of polymer additives for making giant bubbles requires a robust viscoelastic rheology during extension, and is aided by long film lifetimes during gravitational drainage and evaporation.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2018

Universal Scaling of Polygonal Desiccation Crack Patterns

Polygonal desiccation crack patterns are commonly observed in natural systems. Despite their quotidian nature, it is unclear whether similar crack patterns which span orders of magnitude in length scales share the same underlying physics. In thin films, the characteristic length of polygonal cracks is known to monotonically increase with the film thickness, however, existing theories that consider the mechanical, thermodynamic, hydrodynamic, and statistical properties of cracking often lead to contradictory predictions. Here we experimentally investigate polygonal cracks in drying suspensions of micron-sized particles by varying film thickness, boundary adhesion, packing fraction, and solvent. Although polygonal cracks were observed in most systems above a critical film thickness, in cornstarch-water mixtures, multi-scale crack patterns were observed due to two distinct desiccation mechanisms. Large-scale, primary polygons initially form due to capillary-induced film shrinkage, whereas small-scale, secondary polygons appear later due to the deswelling of the hygroscopic particles. In addition, we find that the characteristic area of the polygonal cracks, $A_p$, obeys a universal power law, $A_p=αh^{4/3}$, where $h$ is the film thickness. By quantitatively linking $α$ with the material properties during crack formation, we provide a robust framework for understanding multi-scale polygonal crack patterns from microscopic to geologic scales.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2018

Precursors to Molecular Slip on Smooth Hydrophobic Surfaces

Experiments and simulations suggest that simple liquids may experience slip while flowing near a smooth, hydrophobic surface. Here we show how precursors to molecular slip can be observed in the complex response of a liquid to oscillatory shear. We measure both the change in frequency and bandwidth of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) during the growth of a single drop of water immersed in an ambient liquid. By varying the hydrophobicity of the surface using self-assembled monolayers, our results show little or no slip for water on all surfaces. However, we observe excess transverse motion near hydrophobic surfaces due to weak binding in the corrugated surface potential, an essential precursor to slip. We also show how this effect can be easily missed in simulations utilizing finite-ranged interaction potentials.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2018

Self-organized oscillations of Leidenfrost drops

In the Leidenfrost effect, a thin layer of evaporated vapor forms between a liquid and a hot solid. The complex interactions between the solid, liquid, and vapor phases can lead to rich dynamics even in a single Leidenfrost drop. Here we investigate the self-organized oscillations of Leidenfrost drops that are excited by a constant flow of evaporated vapor beneath the drop. We show that for small Leidenfrost drops, the frequency of a recently reported "breathing mode" can be explained by a simple balance of gravitational and surface tension forces. For large Leidenfrost drops, azimuthal star-shaped oscillations are observed. Our previous work showed how the coupling between the rapid evaporated vapor flow and the vapor-liquid interface excites the star oscillations (Ma \textit{et al., Phys. Rev. Fluids}, 2, 2017, 031602). In our experiments, star-shaped oscillation modes of $n=2$ to 13 are observed in different liquids, the number of observed modes depends sensitively on the liquid viscosity. Here we expand on this work by directly comparing the oscillations with theoretical predictions, and show how the oscillations are initiated by a parametric forcing mechanism through pressure oscillations in the vapor layer. The pressure oscillations are driven by the capillary waves of a characteristic wavelength beneath the drop. These capillary waves can be generated by a large shear stress at the liquid-vapor interface due to the rapid flow of evaporated vapor. We also explore potential effects of thermal convection in the liquid. Although the measured Rayleigh number is significantly larger than the critical value, the frequency (wavelength) of the oscillations depends only on the capillary length of the liquid, and is independent of the drop radius and substrate temperature. Thus convection seems to play a minor role in Leidenfrost drop oscillations, which are mostly hydrodynamic in origin.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2017

Casimir effect between pinned particles in two-dimensional jammed systems

The Casimir effect arises when long-ranged fluctuations are geometrically confined between two surfaces, leading to a macroscopic force. Traditionally, these forces have been observed in quantum systems and near critical points in classical systems. Here we show the existence of Casimir-like forces between two pinned particles immersed in two-dimensional systems near the jamming transition. We observe two components to the total force: a short-ranged, depletion force and a long-ranged, repulsive Casimir-like force. The Casimir-like force dominates as the jamming transition is approached, and when the pinned particles are much larger than the ambient jammed particles. We show that this repulsive force arises due to a clustering of particles with strong contact forces around the perimeter of the pinned particles. As the separation between the pinned particles decreases, a region of high-pressure develops between them, leading to a net repulsive force.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2016

Star-shaped Oscillations of Leidenfrost Drops

We experimentally investigate the self-sustained, star-shaped oscillations of Leidenfrost drops. The drops levitate on a cushion of evaporated vapor over a heated, curved surface. We observe modes with $n = 2-13$ lobes around the drop periphery. We find that the wavelength of the oscillations depends only on the capillary length of the liquid, and is independent of the drop radius and substrate temperature. However, the number of observed modes depends sensitively on the liquid viscosity. The dominant frequency of pressure variations in the vapor layer is approximately twice the drop oscillation frequency, consistent with a parametric forcing mechanism. Our results show that the star-shaped oscillations are driven by capillary waves of a characteristic wavelength beneath the drop, and that the waves are generated by a large shear stress at the liquid-vapor interface.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2016

Echoes from Anharmonic Normal Modes in Model Glasses

Glasses display a wide array of nonlinear acoustic phenomena at temperatures $T\lesssim 1$ K. This behavior has traditionally been explained by an ensemble of weakly-coupled, two-level tunneling states, a theory that is also used to describe the thermodynamic properties of glasses at low temperatures. One of the most striking acoustic signatures in this regime is the existence of phonon echoes, a feature that has been associated with two-level systems with the same formalism as spin echoes in NMR. Here we report the existence of distinctly different type of acoustic echo in classical models of glassy materials. Our simulations consist of finite-ranged, repulsive spheres and also particles with attractive forces using Lennard-Jones interactions. We show that these echoes are due to anharmonic, weakly-coupled vibrational modes, and perhaps provide an alternative explanation for the phonon echoes observed in glasses at low temperatures.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2014

Coalescence of bubbles and drops in an outer fluid

When two liquid drops touch, a microscopic connecting liquid bridge forms and rapidly grows as the two drops merge into one. Whereas coalescence has been thoroughly studied when drops coalesce in vacuum or air, many important situations involve coalescence in a dense surrounding fluid, such as oil coalescence in brine. Here we study the merging of gas bubbles and liquid drops in an external fluid. Our data indicate that the flows occur over much larger length scales in the outer fluid than inside the drops themselves. Thus we find that the asymptotic early regime is always dominated by the viscosity of the drops, independent of the external fluid. A phase diagram showing the crossovers into the different possible late-time dynamics identifies a dimensionless number that signifies when the external viscosity can be important.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2013

Collision Dynamics of Particle Clusters in a Two-dimensional Granular Gas

In a granular gas, inelastic collisions produce an instability in which the constituent particles cluster heterogeneously. These clusters then interact with each other, further decreasing their kinetic energy. We report experiments of the free collisions of dense clusters of particles in a two-dimensional geometry. The particles are composed of solid CO$_{2}$, which float nearly frictionlessly on a hot surface due to sublimated vapor. After two dense clusters of $\approx$ 100 particles collide, there are two distinct stages of evolution. First, the translational kinetic energy rapidly decreases by over 90% as a "jamming front" sweeps across each cluster. Subsequently, the kinetic energy decreases more slowly as the particles approach the container boundaries. In this regime, the measured velocity distributions are non-Gaussian with long tails. Finally, we compare our experiments to computer simulations of colliding, two-dimensional, granular clusters composed of circular, viscoelastic particles with friction.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2013

Energy Loss at Propagating Jamming Fronts in Granular Gas Clusters

We explore the initial moments of impact between two dense granular clusters in a two-dimensional geometry. The particles are composed of solid CO$_{2}$ and are levitated on a hot surface. Upon collision, the propagation of a dynamic "jamming front" produces a distinct regime for energy dissipation in a granular gas in which the translational kinetic energy decreases by over 90%. Experiments and associated simulations show that the initial loss of kinetic energy obeys a power law in time, $ΔE=-Kt^{3/2}$, a form that can be predicted from kinetic arguments.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2012

The inexorable resistance of inertia determines the initial regime of drop coalescence

Drop coalescence is central to diverse processes involving dispersions of drops in industrial, engineering and scientific realms. During coalescence, two drops first touch and then merge as the liquid neck connecting them grows from initially microscopic scales to a size comparable to the drop diameters. The curvature of the interface is infinite at the point where the drops first make contact, and the flows that ensue as the two drops coalesce are intimately coupled to this singularity in the dynamics. Conventionally, this process has been thought to have just two dynamical regimes: a viscous and an inertial regime with a crossover region between them. We use experiments and simulations to reveal that a third regime, one that describes the initial dynamics of coalescence for all drop viscosities, has been missed. An argument based on force balance allows the construction of a new coalescence phase diagram.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2011

Viscous to Inertial Crossover in Liquid Drop Coalescence

Using an electrical method and high-speed imaging we probe drop coalescence down to 10 ns after the drops touch. By varying the liquid viscosity over two decades, we conclude that at sufficiently low approach velocity where deformation is not present, the drops coalesce with an unexpectedly late crossover time between a regime dominated by viscous and one dominated by inertial effects. We argue that the late crossover, not accounted for in the theory, can be explained by an appropriate choice of length-scales present in the flow geometry.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2011

Simulations of Coulombic Fission of Charged Inviscid Drops

We present boundary-integral simulations of the evolution of critically charged droplets. For such droplets, small ellipsoidal perturbations are unstable and eventually lead to the formation of a "lemon"-shaped drop with very sharp tips. For perfectly conducting drops, the tip forms a self-similar cone shape with a subtended angle identical to that of a Taylor cone. At the tip, quantities such and pressure and fluid velocity diverge in time with power-law scaling. In contrast, when charge transport is described by a finite conductivity, we find that small progeny drops are formed at the tips whose size decreases as the conductivity is increased. These small progeny drops are of nearly critical charge, and are precursors to the emission of a sustained flow of liquid from the tips as observed in experiments of isolated charged drops.

cond-mat.soft↗