Motion and Chain formation of Conductive Spheres on a Horizontal Insulator Surface Immersed in Dielectric Liquids

This work presents an analysis of the dynamics of conductive, possibly charged spheres resting on the horizontal surface of an ideal insulator, both immersed in dielectric liquids. The system is subject to a uniform background field with components normal and parallel to the surface. The inclusion of dielectric liquids complicates the problem by adding the induced charge electrophoresis effect. In this work, for individual sphere, the dependence of the total force that drives its motion on the properties of the dielectric liquid is shown. For a pair of spheres, the conditions under which they can be pulled together to form a chain are derived. Experimental results are presented to qualitatively verify the theoretical analysis. This is a complex electromechanical system that has been studied for branched pattern formation. However, no detailed analysis of the sphere motion and chain formation has been conducted. This work will bridge this gap, as well as inform some sensor designs for engineering applications.