Examination of Brownian vortex dynamics of an aerosol droplet trapped in a horizontal optical tweezers
POSTER
Abstract
The use of optical tweezers in aerosol research greatly facilitates the characterization of the physical properties and dynamics of individual droplets. Using a modified single-beam optical trap to determine the position of a droplet in three-dimensional space, trends in the dynamics of single saline droplets trapped in air have been examined. We consider the possibility that non-conservative optical forces bias the average motion of a given droplet such that it circulates in a toroidal manner.
*This research was supported by an award from Research Corporation.