Brownian Motion of Boomerang Colloidal Particles

ORAL

Abstract

We present experimental and theoretical studies on the Brownian motion of boomerang colloidal particles confined between two glass plates. Our experimental observations show that the mean displacements are biased towards the center of hydrodynamic stress (CoH), and that the mean-square displacements exhibit a crossover from short-time faster to long-time slower diffusion with the short-time diffusion coefficients dependent on the points used for tracking. A model based on Langevin theory elucidates that these behaviors are ascribed to the superposition of two diffusive modes: the ellipsoidal motion of the CoH and the rotational motion of the tracking point with respect to the CoH.

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Authors

  • Qi-Huo Wei

    Kent State University, Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University

  • Andrew Konya

    Kent State University, Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University

  • Feng Wang

    Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University

  • Jonathan Selinger

    Kent State University, Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University

  • kai Sun

    University of Michigan, Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, the University of Michigan

  • Ayan Chakrabarty

    Kent State University, Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University