Abstract
Fluid motion induced by a microcantilever heat source immersed in water is assessed by microscopic particle image velocimetry. Large fluid velocity is observed near the heated cantilever and its magnitude increases with cantilever temperature. Neither Brownian nor thermophoretic motion of the tracer particles can account for these large velocities. Rather, this fluid motion is consistent with buoyancy-driven advection. The observation of natural advection due to a microscopic heat source is important for electronics cooling, performance of thermal sensors, and the thermal processing of small biological samples.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 063113 |
Journal | Applied Physics Letters |
Volume | 96 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2010 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)