Zero-field birefringence of biocompatible magnetic fluids: A concentration dependence investigation

Zero-field birefringence was used to investigate maghemite-based biocompatible magnetic fluids surface-coated with citrate. The model used to analyze the birefringence signal considers the dipolar magnetic interaction among dimers and the onset of a nematic phase near the sample holder surface. The data show that zero-field birefringence grows with sample dilution.     

Mechanism of chain formation in nanofluid based MR fluids

Mechanism of structure formation in bidispersed colloids is important for its physical and optical properties. It is microscopically observed that the mechanism of chain formation in magnetic nanofluid based magnetorheological (MR) fluid is quite different from that in the conventional MR fluid. Under the application of magnetic field the magnetic nanoparticles are filled inside the structural microcavities formed due to the association of large magnetic particles, and some of the magnetic nanoparticles are attached at the end of the chains formed by the large particles. The dipolar energy of the large particles in a magnetic nanofluid matrix becomes effective magnetic permeability (μ_eff) times smaller than that of the neutral medium. Inclusion of magnetic nanoparticles (∼10 nm) with large magnetic particles (∼3-5 μm) restricts the aggregation of large particles, which causes the field induced phase separation in MR fluids. Hence, nanofluid based MR fluids are more stable than conventional MR fluids, which subsequently increase their application potentiality.     

偶极流体的理论研究

铁电液晶、磁流体等在现代功能材料中具有重要地位,对人们的现实生活也产生了深远影响.本文着力介绍包含球形粒子的偶极流体体系在没有外场情况下的一些结构和性质,以及偶极相互作用对该体系的影响.介绍了国外研究偶极流体所采用的最新方法,这有助于我们进一步了解偶极流体复杂的结构和相变性质.     

Pair correlations in magnetic nanodispersed fluids

The pair distribution function of a monodisperse magnetic fluid simulated by a liquid made of dipolar hard spheres with constant magnetic moments is calculated. The anisotropy of the pair distribution function and the related structure factor of scattering in a dc uniform magnetic field are studied. The calculation is performed by diagrammatic expansion in the volume concentration of particles and the interparticle magnetic-dipole interaction intensity using a thermodynamic perturbation theory. Limitation by three-particle diagrams makes it possible to apply the results obtained to magnetic fluids with a moderate concentration. Even for low-concentration and weakly nonideal magnetic fluids, the anisotropic interparticle magnetic-dipole correlations in a magnetic field lead to the repulsion of particles in the direction normal to the field and to the formation of particle dimers along the field.     

In situ imaging of field-induced hexagonal columns in magnetite ferrofluids

Field-induced structures in a ferrofluid with well-defined magnetite nanoparticles with a permanent magnetic dipole moment are analyzed on a single-particle level by in situ cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (2D). The field-induced columnar phase locally exhibits hexagonal symmetry and confirms the structures observed in simulations for ferromagnetic dipolar fluids in 2D. The columns are distorted by lens-shaped voids, due to the weak interchain attraction relative to field-directed dipole-dipole attraction. Both dipolar coupling and the dipole concentration determine the dimensions and the spatial arrangement of the columns. Their regular spacing manifests long-range end-pole repulsions that eventually dominate the fluctuation-induced attractions between dipole chains that initiate the columnar transition.     

Theoretical investigations of the vapour-liquid equilibrium and dielectric properties of dipolar Yukawa fluids in an external field

In a low field approximation, using the dipolar Yukawa fluid model (in mean spherical approximation as a reference system) a consistent field-dependent free energy expression is proposed for the calculation of the vapour-liquid equilibrium of polar fluids in an applied electric field. A perturbation theory high field approximation expression of the free energy is also proposed to study the field-dependent properties of fluids. In the high field approximation, equations for the field-dependent polarization and for the nonlinear dielectric constant (or Piekara constant) are also predicted. It has been discussed that our approximations are appropriate to describe the vapour-liquid-like phase equilibria and the magnetization curves of magnetic fluids.     

The structure factor of polydisperse magnetic fluids

This work is devoted to the development of the theoretical model, permitting to find the pair correlation function and the structure factor of magnetic fluids taking into account the polydispersity of magnetic particles. The magnetic fluid was modeled as a system of bidisperse dipolar hard spheres. We compared the results obtained on the basis of monodisperse and bidisperse models. The consideration of the particle polydispersity affects the behavior of the structure factor: the value of the first peak decreases and becomes broader in comparison to the monodisperse case.     

Thermodynamic Limit for Dipolar Media

We prove existence of a shape- and boundary-condition-independent thermodynamic limit for fluids and solids of identical particles with electric or magnetic dipole moments. Our result applies to fluids of hard-core particles, to dipolar soft spheres and Stockmayer fluids, to disordered solid composites, and to regular crystal lattices. In addition to their permanent dipole moments, particles may further polarize each other. Classical and quantum models are treated. Shape independence depends on the reduction in free energy accomplished by domain formation, so our proof applies only in the case of zero applied field. Existence of a thermodynamic limit implies texture formation in spontaneously magnetized liquids and disordered solids analogous to domain formation in crystalline solids.     

Comparison of reversible and irreversible dipolar assemblies in a ferrofluid

Zero-field aggregation of magnetic nanoparticles in a ferrofluid can either be irreversible or result from a dynamic equilibrium; the two cases can be distinguished by measurements of the complex magnetic susceptibility and by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). We demonstrate this by comparing two colloidal systems that show dipolar structure formation in zero field. A dispersion of magnetic iron nanoparticles is gradually oxidized to decrease the magnetic moments, and despite the vanishing dipolar attractions, thermal motion does not break up the dipolar structures into single particles. Instead, the dipolar structures become chemically fixed during the oxidation process, an example of irreversible aggregation. In contrast, the zero-field dipolar structures in a chemically stable magnetite dispersion are found to disintegrate upon dilution, indicating that the structures are reversible and result from a dynamic equilibrium.     

The role of dipolar interactions for the magnetic properties of ferromagnetic nanoring

We investigate numerically the effects of the dipolar interactions on magnetic properties in small ferromagnetic nanorings using a Monte Carlo technique. Our simulated results show that the strength of dipolar interaction in the magnetic nanoring has an important influence on the magnetization reversal processes and further the coercivity and the remanence. As the dipolar interaction increases, the transition of magnetization reversal processes from the onion-rotation state to the vortex state can occur, which results in an increase in coercivity and a decrease in remanence. On the other hand, it is found that the coercivity and the remanence depend more strongly on the strength of dipolar coupling for the relatively small size nanoring than for the large size nanoring in width. This can be attributed to the stable vortex state without core in smaller width nanoring in contrast to the metastable vortex state with core in larger width nanoring, induced by strong dipolar interactions. Additionally, the temperature dependence of coercivity and remanence in magnetic nanoring is also studied at a fixed dipolar interaction.     

Remote dipolar interactions for objective density calibration and flow control of excitonic fluids

In this Letter we suggest a method to observe remote interactions of spatially separated dipolar quantum fluids, and in particular, of dipolar excitons in GaAs bilayer based devices. The method utilizes the static electric dipole moment of trapped dipolar fluids to induce a local potential change on spatially separated test dipoles. We show that such an interaction can be used for model-independent, objective fluid density measurements, an outstanding problem in this field of research, as well as for interfluid exciton flow control and trapping. For a demonstration of the effects on realistic devices, we use a full two-dimensional hydrodynamical model.     

Study of the structure factor anisotropy and long range correlations of ferrofluids in the dilute low-coupling regime

Dipolar soft-sphere (DSS) fluids in the dilute low-coupling regime are studied via Molecular Dynamic simulations and the extension of a theoretical formalism previously used for dipolar hard spheres in which new terms for the virial expansion of the radial distribution function corresponding to the three-particle contribution are presented and tested for the zero and non-zero magnetic field case. A thorough comparison with simulations shows that the extended formalism is able to account for the structure factors of DSS with and without externally applied magnetic fields in the dilute low-coupling regime: quantitative agreement between theory and simulations is found for dipolar coupling parameters λ?2, and volume fraction φ?0.25. When λ>1 the new added term to the virial expansion is observed to play a crucial role in order to match quantitatively theory and simulations at zero field. In the presence of an external magnetic field our tests show that further improvements are needed and only new terms with Langevin function dependences can significatively contribute to improve the predictions for the dilute low-coupling regime. Numerical simulations show that despite that the ferrofluids considered here are in the dilute low-coupling regime, when an external field is applied, important correlations along the parallel direction to the field and depletion phenomena along the perpendicular direction are observed in the averaged density surrounding a particle.     

Hysteresis in small arrays of interacting magnetic nanoparticles

The out-of-plane hysteresis loops of small arrays of magnetic nanoparticles, under the influence of an external field applied perpendicular to the array and the dipolar interaction are investigated. The particles are assumed to have a perpendicular anisotropy energy that tends to align the magnetic moments to be perpendicular to the array. The magnetization is found to exhibit a plateaux-and-jumps structure as the external field is swept up and down. These jumps are associated with jumps in the energy of the system, and correspond to transition from one configuration of the moment orientation to another. The energy of different configurations of the magnetic moments for a 3×3 array in the limit of weak dipolar interaction is analyzed, as a means to understand the hysteresis loop. These jumps are more pronounced in arrays of smaller sizes and when the dipolar interaction is weak. The configuration of magnetic moments at zero external field as the field is swept up and down is found to be highly sensitive to the dipolar interaction.     

Monte Carlo calculation of the magnetization behavior and the magnetocaloric effect of interacting particles

The magnetization behavior and the magnetic entropy change of a system made up of ferromagnetically interacting particles are calculated by using Monte Carlo simulation. The effect of the magnetic anisotropy of particles and the dipolar–dipolar interaction between particles on the magnetization and the magnetic entropy change of the system are discussed. It is found that there is no spontaneous magnetization, both the magnetic anisotropy of particles and the dipolar–dipolar interaction between particles restrains the system's magnetizing in the external magnetic field. The magnetic entropy change decreases with the increase in temperature in the system without the dipolar–dipolar interaction; however, the dipolar–dipolar interaction between particles makes the magnetic entropy change of the system have maximum value at low temperatures.     

Magnetization in uniaxial spherical nanoparticles: Consequence on the interparticle interaction

We investigate the interaction between spherical magnetic nanoparticles which present either a single domain or a vortex structure. First the magnetic structure of a uniaxial soft sphere is revisited, and then the interaction energy is calculated from a micromagnetic simulation. In the vortex regime the orientation of the vortex relative to the easy axis depends on both the particle size and the anisotropy constant. We show that the leading term of the interaction is the dipolar interaction energy between the magnetic moments. For particles presenting a vortex structure, we show that the polarization due to the dipolar field must be included. The parameters entering in the dipolar interaction are deduced from the magnetic behavior of the isolated particle.     

Effect of an electric field on the surface tension of a dipolar-quadrupolar fluid and its implication for sign preference in droplet nucleation

The effect of a uniform electric field on interfacial properties of dipolar-quadrupolar fluids is investigated by using the density-functional theory. As in the case of purely dipolar fluids the (thermodynamic) surface tension is always altered by the external field, regardless of the direction of the field. However, unlike the purely dipolar fluids, for two given external fields with the same strength but exactly opposite direction the magnitude of variation in the surface tension is different. This apparent symmetry breaking by reversing the field direction suggests a new molecular mechanism to explain the phenomenon of sign preference in droplet formation on charged condensation centers.     

Magnetic field dependence of residual dipolar couplings measured in dilute liquid crystalline media

The effect of the magnetic field strength on the magnitude of residual dipolar couplings introduced by dilute liquid crystal media was investigated. One-bond heteronuclear residual dipolar couplings and residual deuterium quadrupolar splitting of the water were monitored at various static magnetic fields. It is suggested that the value of residual anisotropic NMR parameters resulting from exchange between ordered and non-ordered molecules decreases with increasing magnetic fields.     

Sedimentation equilibria of ferrofluids: II. Experimental osmotic equations of state of magnetite colloids

The first experimental osmotic equation of state is reported for well-defined magnetic colloids that interact via a dipolar hard-sphere potential. The osmotic pressures are determined from the sedimentation equilibrium concentration profiles in ultrathin capillaries using a low-velocity analytical centrifuge, which is the subject of the accompanying paper I. The pressures of the magnetic colloids, measured accurately to values as low as a few pascals, obey Van 't Hoff's law at low concentrations, whereas at increasing colloid densities non-ideality appears in the form of a negative second virial coefficient. This virial coefficient corresponds to a dipolar coupling constant that agrees with the coupling constant obtained via independent magnetization measurements. The coupling constant manifests an attractive potential of mean force that is significant but yet not quite strong enough to induce dipolar chain formation. Our results disprove van der Waals-like phase behavior of dipolar particles for reasons that are explained.     

Bypassing Cowling's theorem in axisymmetric fluid dynamos

We present a numerical study of the magnetic field generated by an axisymmetrically forced flow in a spherical domain. We show that, even in the absence of nonaxisymmetric velocity fluctuations, a mean magnetic field with a dominant axisymmetric dipolar component can be generated via a secondary bifurcation from an equatorial dipole. We understand the dynamical behaviors that result from the interaction of equatorial and axial dipolar modes using simple model equations for their amplitudes derived from symmetry arguments.