Low-Frequency Dielectrophoresis and the Polarization Interaction of Uncharged Spherical Particles with an Induced Debye Atmosphere of Arbitrary Thickness

Abstract

The electroosmotic component of the mutual dielectrophoresis is accounted for in the theory of the polarization interaction of uncharged particles. Previously, for the case when the polarization charge layer thickness is small as compared with the particle radius, it was shown that the electro-osmosis exerts significant effect on the motion of a particle in a nonuniform field (external or induced by a neighboring particle). The electro-osmosis in the induced Debye atmosphere of arbitrary thickness is considered in this paper. A class of systems characterized by the formation of transverse linear aggregates of particles is determined. The aggregates are weakly conducting media with nonconducting particles but more polar than the medium. The possibility of the occurrence of transverse electrocoagulation structures, which was originally obtained by us using the heuristic approach, is supported by results obtained in the solution of the electrohydrodynamic problem of the long-range interaction of polarized particles. The results obtained confirm high efficiency of the heuristic method used.