title: Thermal diffusivity coefficient of glycerin determined on an acoustically levitated drop.
abstract: We present a technique that can be used to determine the thermal diffusivity coefficient of undercooled liquids that exist at temperatures below their freezing points. The technique involves levitation of a small amount of liquid in the shape of a flattened drop using an acoustic levitator and heating it with a CO2 laser. The heated drop is then allowed to cool naturally by heat loss from the surface. Due to acoustic streaming, heat loss is highly non-uniform and appears to mainly occur at the drop circumference (equatorial region). This fact allows us to relate the heat loss rate with a heat transfer model to determine the thermal diffusion coefficient. We demonstrate the feasibility of the technique using glycerin drops as a model liquid.
authors.affiliation: University of Southern California University Park, Los Angeles, California 90089-1191, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohsaka
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rednikov
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Sadhal