title: Thermal transpiration at the microscale: a Crookes cantilever.
abstract: Local temperature inhomogeneities in systems containing micron and submicron objects can result in unexpected consequences. If the mean free path of the host gas constituents is comparable to a characteristic length of the system, then a net exchange of momentum occurs between the constituents and the involved surfaces. For a given temperature gradient and a given pressure range, this results in the presence of Knudsen and Knudsen-like forces (KF). The pressure dependence of these forces has been studied using a microelectromechanical system composed of a microcantilever near a substrate surface. Nano-Newton scale KF are observed by the bending of the microcantilever as monitored by the charge variation on the microcantilever-substrate assembly in a capacitive mode.
authors.affiliation: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA. passianan@ornl.gov
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Passian
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Warmack
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Ferrell
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thundat