Quasi-two-dimensional diffusion of single ellipsoids: aspect ratio and confinement effects

Condensed Matter journal club

Quasi-two-dimensional diffusion of single ellipsoids: aspect ratio and confinement effects

  • Event time: 11:30am
  • Event date: 4th June 2010
  • Speaker: Mathias Reufer (University of Edinburgh)
  • Location: Room 2511,

Event details

Abstract

We report on video-microscopy measurements of the translational and rotational Brownian motions of isolated ellipsoidal particles in quasi-two-dimensional sample cells of increasing thickness. The long-time diffusion coefficients were measured along the long (Da) and short (Db) ellipsoid axes, respectively, and the ratio, Da/Db, was determined as a function of wall confinement and particle aspect ratio. In three dimensions (3D), this ratio (Da/Db) cannot be larger than 2, but in quasi-two dimensions, wall confinement was found to substantially alter diffusion anisotropy and substantially slow particle diffusion along the short axis compared to 3D.
Phys. Rev. E 80 011403 (2009)

Authors

Y. Han, A. Alsayed, M. Nobili and A. G. Yodh

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