Abstract
Ferromagnetic microparticles suspended at the interface between immiscible liquids and energized by an external alternating magnetic field show a rich variety of self-assembled structures, from linear snakes to radial asters. In order to obtain insight into the fundamental physical mechanisms and the overall balance of forces governing self-assembly, we develop a modeling approach based on analytical solutions of the time-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. These analytical expressions for the self-consistent hydrodynamic flows are then employed to modify effective interactions between the particles, which in turn are formulated in terms of the time-averaged quantities. Our method allows effective computational verification of the mechanisms of self-assembly and leads to a testable prediction, e.g., on the transitions between various patterns versus viscosity of the solvent.
- Received 18 July 2013
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.88.033024
©2013 American Physical Society