Ultrasound and light scattering from a suspension of reversible fractal clusters in shear flow

Shear break-up of reversible fractal clusters is investigated by ultrasound and multiple light scattering in the low shear regime. We consider a dense suspension of Rayleigh scatterers (particles or clusters) with acoustic properties close to those of the surrounding liquid so that the attenuation of the ultrasonic coherent field is weak and multiple scattering is negligible. The concept of variance in local particle volume fraction is used to derive an original expression of the ultrasound scattering cross-section per unit volume for Rayleigh fractal clusters. On the basis of a scaling law for the shear break-up of aggregates, then we derive the shear stress dependence of the ultrasound scattered intensity from a suspension of reversible fractal clusters. In a second part, we present rheo-acoustical experiments to study the shear break-up of hardened red cell aggregates in plane-plane flow geometry and we examine both the self consistent field approximation and the scaling laws used in microrheological models. We further compare the ability of acoustical backscattering and optical reflectometry techniques to estimate the critical disaggregation shear stress and the particle surface adhesive energy. Finally, the microrheological model from Snabre and Mills [#!ref5!#] based on a fractal approach is shown to describe the non Newtonian behavior of a dense distribution of hardened red cell aggregates. Received 12 November 1998 and Received in final form 17 May 1999     

超薄膜外延生长的计算机模拟

对超薄膜的生长过程进行了计算机模拟，得到与实验结果一致的团簇生长形貌及“台阶流动”结果，分析了邻晶面偏离角对成核密度等的影响，并计算了台阶流动的阈值及团簇的分形维数. 关键词：     

Computer simulations of two-phase flow with surface tension in the percolation cluster

Percolation clusters with varying occupation probability were constructed. Viscous fingering (VF) in the percolation cluster, based on the assumption that throat radii are Rayleigh distributed, is investigated by means of a successive over-relaxation technique. The fractal dimension and the sweep efficiency of VF in the percolation cluster when surface tension is considered are larger than when surface tension is neglected. The fractal dimension of VF will increase as the percolation probability increases or the viscous ratio decreases. VF's fractal dimension of porous media in the limit viscous ratio → ∞ is found to be identical with the DLA. The topology and the geometry of the porous medium have a strong effect on the displacement processes and the structure of the VF.     

Scaling behavior of threshold epidemics

We numerically simulate the dynamics of atomic clusters aggregation deposited on a surface interacting with the growing island. We make use of the well-known DLA model but replace the underlying diffusion equation by the Smoluchowski equation which results in a drifted DLA model and anisotropic jump probabilities. The shape of the structures resulting from their aggregation-limited random walk is affected by the presence of a Laplacian potential due to, for instance, the surface stress field. We characterize the morphologies we obtain by their Hausdorff fractal dimension as well as the so-called external fractal dimension. We compare our results to previously published experimental results for antimony and silver clusters deposited onto graphite surface.     

Diffusion-limited aggregation: A continuum mean field model

Mean field theory is used as a basis for a new approach to analyzing fractal pattern formation by diffusion-limited aggregation. A coarse time scale is introduced to take into account the discrete nature of DLA clusters. A system of equations is derived and solved numerically to determine the fractal dimension and density of a cluster as a function of distance from its center. The results obtained are in good agreement with direct numerical simulations.     

Multiscale clustering in granular surface flows

We investigate steady granular surface flows in a rotating drum and demonstrate the existence of rigid clusters of grains embedded in the flowing layer. These clusters appear to be fractal and their size is power law distributed from the grain size scale up to the thickness of the flowing layer. The implications of the absence of a characteristic length scale on available theoretical models of dense granular flows are discussed. Finally, we suggest a possible explanation of the difference between velocity profiles observed in surface flows and in flows down a rough inclined plane.     

Grayscale projection of finite size fractal clusters

Microscopy techniques are suitable to obtain structural information of colloidal clusters with high resolution, but yield only a two dimensional projection of the objects. When imaging finite size objects with fractal properties, such as clusters of colloidal particles, this projection process has to be taken into account for the calculation of the fractal dimension. In this paper we present a technique to calculate the fractal dimension of finite size clusters with fractal properties using grayscale projections such as images obtained by X-ray microscopy. The grayscales are interpreted as different occupation counts within a projection. It is shown, that the radial distribution of these occupation counts varies with the fractal dimension d of the cluster. Using the radius of maximum occupation probability the fractal dimension up to 2.2 of finite size clusters can be calculated. The theoretical predictions are verified by test calculations employing numerically generated clusters.     

Fractal Aggregation Under Rotation

By means of the Monte Carlo simulation, a fractal growth model is introduced to describe diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA) under rotation. Patterns which are different from the classical DLA model are observed and the fractal dimension of such clusters is calculated. It is found that the pattern of the clusters and their fractal dimension depend strongly on the rotation velocity of the diffusing particle. Our results indicate the transition from fractal to non-fractal behavior of growing cluster with increasing rotation velocity, i.e. for small enough angular velocity ω; thefractal dimension decreases with increasing ω;, but then, with increasing rotation velocity, the fractal dimension increases and the cluster becomes compact and tends to non-fractal.     

Resistive state of superconducting structures with fractal clusters of a normal phase

The effect of morphologic factors on magnetic flux trapping and critical currents in a superconducting structure, which presents a type II percolation superconductor with pinning centers, is considered. The role of pinning centers is played by fractal clusters of the normal phase. The properties of these clusters are analyzed in detail: their statistics is studied, the distribution of critical currents of depinning is found, and the depen-dences of the main statistical parameters on the fractal dimension are obtained. The effect of fractal clusters of the normal phase on the electric field caused by the motion of the magnetic flux after the vortices have been broken away from pinning centers is considered. The current-voltage characteristics of superconducting structures in a resistive state are obtained for an arbitrary fractal dimension. It is found that the fractality of the boundaries of normal-phase clusters forces magnetic flux trapping, thereby increasing the critical current.     

Theory of self-avoiding walks on percolation fractals

A phenomenological approach which takes into account the basic geometry and topology of percolation fractal structures and of self-avoiding walks (SAW) is used to derive a new expression for the Flory exponent describing the average radius of gyration of SAWs on fractals. We focus on the radius of gyration and discuss the importance of the intrinsic fractal dimensions of percolation clusters in determining the lower and upper critical dimensions of SAWs. The mean-field version of our new formula corresponds to the Aharony and Harris expression, who used the standard Flory approach for its derivation.On leave from Santipur College, Nadia 741404, India.     

Surface characterization and microstructure of ITO thin films at different annealing temperatures

In this study, the electron beam evaporation method is used to generate an indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film on a glass substrate at room temperature. The surface characteristics of this ITO thin film are then investigated by means of an AFM (atomic force microscopy) method. The influence of postgrowth thermal annealing on the microstructure and surface morphology of ITO thin films are also examined. The results demonstrate that the film annealed at higher annealing temperature (300 °C) has higher surface roughness, which is due to the aggregation of the native grains into larger clusters upon annealing. The fractal analysis reveals that the value of fractal dimension D_f falls within the range 2.16-2.20 depending upon the annealing temperatures and is calculated by the height-height correlation function.     

Small-angle neutron scattering by fractal clusters in aqueous dispersions of nanodiamonds

We considered how the choice of a model affects the treatment of data of small-angle neutron scattering by aqueous dispersions of detonation nanodiamonds. The scattering curves were analyzed using a general approach that combines the structure of nanodiamonds, the fractal organization of their clusters, and the interaction of clusters. The effect of the interaction between clusters on scattering was treated within the Guinier approximation.     

Experimental observation and simulation of fractal patterns of Au/Ge bilayer films

In this paper, we report on the simulation of fractal clusters and the comparison with experimental fractal patterns. We found that multiple fractal clusters can be formed in Au/Ge bilayer films for different annealing times. The fractal crystallization area increases with the increase in the annealing time. The random successive nucleation model can simulate the actual growth processes of multiple growth sites. The simulating fractal clusters are in good agreement with our experimental fractal patterns. Received: 21 June 2001 / Accepted: 15 December 2001 / Published online: 3 June 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +86-551/3602-803, E-mail: chenzw@ustc.edu.cn     

分形粗糙面合成孔径雷达成像研究

研究了分形粗糙面的成像问题. 分形粗糙面能够较好的逼近真实环境, 采用带限形式的Weierstrass-Mandelbrot函数建立了分形粗糙面几何模型, 对分形粗糙面参数的选取进行了讨论. 对大尺度粗糙面散射问题提出了一种基于大面元的Kirchhoff近似方法, 采用面元模型来计算粗糙面总的后向散射场以及每一个面元的后向散射场, 并对面元的尺寸选取进行了研究, 通过与解析解进行对比证明了该方法的正确性. 在分形理论建立的确定性粗糙面几何模型与面元的Kirchhoff方法获取的散射场的基础上, 采用正侧视条带式成像模式, 并选用距离多普勒算法对不同分形参数的粗糙面进行合成孔径雷达(SAR) 成像模拟, 结果显示从SAR像中可以清晰地观察到不同分形参数对粗糙面几何轮廓的影响. 该研究包括了从环境模型、电磁模型到SAR成像技术在内的完整的分形环境SAR像模拟过程, 仿真结果显示出分形环境的SAR像特点, 这对基于分形理论的自然环境的遥感探测以及参数反演具有一定的理论支撑作用.     

Clusterization of Stochastically Wandering Particles in Potential Fields

Computer models belonging to the class of models of growth controlled by a gradient are investigated. A theoretical approach to the construction of model algorithms of this class allows us to obtain a wide variety of clusters with different structures, including fractal ones. A consideration of gradient increments to the potential leads to the formation of vertical, nonbranching, and insulated clusters corresponding to a long-range potential with large gradient.     

Formation of an ensemble of nanoclusters under rapid deposition of atoms on a surface

The results of an experimental study of the formation of nanometer-size Au clusters on NaCl(100) and HOPG(0001) surfaces under pulsed laser deposition are presented. No clusters of small sizes (d ≤ 1 nm) have been found in the cluster size distribution. The distribution itself at d < 5 nm has the form of a percolation distribution. It has been established that the perimeter of clusters with sizes d < 5 nm has a fractal structure. The fractal dimension of clusters is different for NaCl(100) and HOPG(0001) surfaces with different symmetries; it decreases with increasing cluster size from D _f ≈ 1.2–1.4 at d ≈ 1.5 nm to D _f ≈ 1 at d ≈ 5 nm. A physical mechanism of nanocluster formation is suggested. Under pulsed laser deposition, the attainable densities of adatoms are close to the percolation threshold in the region of thermodynamically unstable states and many-particle correlation regions are formed in a spatially inhomogeneous adsorbate. Clusters are formed on the surface from many-particle correlation regions in several diffusion jumps. The suggested mechanism allows the fractal dimension of the clusters forming on surfaces with different symmetries, its dependence on cluster size, and the cluster size distribution functions to be calculated.     

Fluctuations of the local density of states probe localized surface plasmons on disordered metal films

We measure the statistical distribution of the local density of optical states (LDOS) on disordered semicontinuous metal films. We show that LDOS fluctuations exhibit a maximum in a regime where fractal clusters dominate the film surface. These large fluctuations are a signature of surface-plasmon localization on the nanometer scale.     

Electro-chemical manifestation of nanoplasmonics in fractal media

Electrodynamics of composite materials with fractal geometry is studied in the framework of fractional calculus. This consideration establishes a link between fractal geometry of the media and fractional integrodifferentiation. The photoconductivity in the vicinity of the electrode-electrolyte fractal interface is studied. The methods of fractional calculus are employed to obtain an analytical expression for the giant local enhancement of the optical electric field inside the fractal composite structure at the condition of the surface plasmon excitation. This approach makes it possible to explain experimental data on photoconductivity in the nano-electrochemistry.     

Ordering in an ensemble of nanometer-size Au clusters on a NaCl(100) surface at high deposition rates

The results of experimental studies on pulsed laser deposition of the Au atoms on the NaCl(100) surface are reported. Under the conditions far from thermodynamic equilibrium, the spatial ordering was observed in an ensemble of gold clusters at the initial deposition stage. A mechanism based on the idea of fractal structure decomposition caused by the development of unstable concentration modes in the condensed substance is proposed.     

Study of recombination reactions of particles adsorbed on fractal and multifractal substrata

Recombination reactions of adsorbed particles on fractal and multifractal media are discussed within the framework of the random walk arguments. Theoretical results, which predict anomalous reaction orderX>2 in the low coverage regime, are checked by means of Monte Carlo simulations on two-dimensional structures and good agreement is found. Thermal desorption experiments on rough surfaces are simulated by studying temperature programmed reactions on fractal percolating clusters. For this case the simulations giveX≅2.5, i. e. the fractal reaction order is greater than the classical one (X=2). The influence of chemisorbed impurities (poison) on the recombination reaction is also studied and the reaction order is found to increase beyondX=2.5 when increasing the concentration of poison. Isothermal (recombination) desorption from energetically heterogeneous surfaces is simulated on two-dimensional substrata with multifractal distributions of activation energy of diffusion. For this caseX (withX>2) depends on the energetic heterogeneity of the substrata (X=2 for an homogeneous substratum). The obtained results point out that the fractal chemical kinetic behaviour is not only restricted to the low concentration regime, but it also covers the medium coverage regime, i.e. it holds for a monolayer surface coverageθ≦0.4 in fractal percolating clusters. Financially supported by the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Técnicas (CONICET) de la República Argentina