Hydrodynamic modes of the "beating mercury heart" in varying geometries

authored by

S. Smolin, R. Imbihl

Abstract

A mercury drop covered by an aqueous solution which is brought into contact with a metal tip at a fixed potential can be excited to sustained electromechanical oscillations ("beating mercury heart"). The driving force for these pulsations is the electrocapillary effect. We investigated these excitations for the traditional watch glass geometry and for linear and ring-shaped geometries with different lengths and diameters, respectively, varying the potential of the metal tip. We find standing waves in the linear geometry with the number of nodes depending on the potential. In the ring geometry we observe a fast pulsation mode and a slow mode with 2-fold symmetry axis. In addition, we find solitary waves circulating on the ring.

Organisation(s)

Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry

Type

Article

Journal

Journal of Physical Chemistry

Volume

100

Pages

19055-19058

No. of pages

4

ISSN

0022-3654

Publication date

05.12.1996

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Engineering, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1021/jp9616425 (Access: Closed)