Precision charging of microparticles in plasma via the Rayleigh instability for evaporating charged liquid droplets

Bennet, E.D. et al. (2016) Precision charging of microparticles in plasma via the Rayleigh instability for evaporating charged liquid droplets. Journal of Aerosol Science, 100, pp. 53-60. (doi: 10.1016/j.jaerosci.2016.05.002)

Abstract

In this paper we describe a novel method for delivering a precise, known amount of electric charge to a micron-sized solid target. Aerosolised microparticles passed through a plasma discharge will acquire significant electric charge. The fluid stability under evaporative stress is a key aspect that is core to the research. Initially stable charged aerosols subject to evaporation (i.e. a continually changing radius) may encounter the Rayleigh stability limit. This limit arises from the electrostatic and surface tension forces and determines the maximum charge a stable droplet can retain, as a function of radius. We demonstrate that even if the droplet charge is initially much less than the Rayleigh limit, the stability limit will be encountered as the droplet evaporates. The instability emission mechanism is strongly linked to the final charge deposited on the target, providing a mechanism that can be used to ensure a predictable charge deposit on a known encapsulated microparticle.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Everest, Dr Paul and Potts, Hugh and Bennet, Dr Euan and Diver, Professor Declan
• Authors: Bennet, E.D., Mahony, C.M.O., Potts, H.E., Everest, P., Rutherford, D., Askari, S., McDowell, D.A., Mariotti, D., Kelsey, C., Perez-Martin, F., Hamilton, N., Maguire, P., and Diver, D.A.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine; College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
• Journal Name: Journal of Aerosol Science
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0021-8502
• ISSN (Online): 1879-1964
• Published Online: 11 May 2016
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2016 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Journal of Aerosol Science 100: 53-60
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
60424	1	Microplasma-assisted manipulation of intact arborne bacteria for a real-time and automonous detector.	Declan Diver	Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)	EP/K006142/1	P&A - PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY