Brian G. Higgins

Bio: Brian G. Higgins is an academic researcher from University of California, Davis. The author has contributed to research in topics: Langmuir–Blodgett film & Hagen–Poiseuille equation. The author has an hindex of 19, co-authored 43 publications receiving 1826 citations. Previous affiliations of Brian G. Higgins include University of California, Berkeley & University of Minnesota.

Second-harmonic generation and absorption studies of polymer-dye films oriented by corona-onset poling at elevated temperatures

Abstract: Second-harmonic generation and spectroscopic absorption measurements are used to study the nonlinear-optical thin-film properties of azo dye guest molecules oriented in a polymer host by corona-onset poling at elevated temperatures (COPET). Parallel-wire electrode and needle electrode configurations are studied. The orientational order of the nonlinear molecules, the internal electric field, and the stability of the second-harmonic properties are measured. The nonlinear properties stabilize after 10 days and remain relatively constant over a period of at least 8 months, and the films tolerate power densities of at least 60MW/cm2. Compared with other poling methods, COPET produces a more efficient long-range and long-term orientational order in the guest–host system studied, resulting in large, stable second-harmonic properties.

Linear stability of plane Poiseuille flow of two superposed fluids

Abstract: Stability of two superposed fluids of different viscosity in plane Poiseuille flow is studied numerically. Conditions for the growth of an interfacial wave are identified. The analysis extends Yih’s results [J. Fluid Mech. 27, 337 (1967)] for small wavenumbers to large wavenumbers and accounts for differences in density and thickness ratios, as well as the effects of interfacial tension and gravity. Neutral stability diagrams for the interfacial mode are reported for a wide range of the physical parameters describing the flow. The analysis shows also that the flow is linearly unstable to a shear mode instability. The dependence of the critical Reynolds number for the shear mode on the viscosity ratio is reported. Theoretical predictions of critical Reynolds numbers for both modes of instability are compared with available experimental data.

Rayleigh–Taylor instability in thin viscous films

Abstract: The behavior of a viscous fluid film bounded by a wall and a heavier overlying immiscible phase is examined in the limit of small Bond number. Evolution equations governing the behavior of the interface between the two fluids are derived for spatially periodic disturbances and studied numerically. The analysis shows that instability leads to a spectrum of steady‐state interfacial shapes characterized by film rupture and formation of pendant drops, such that gravity and interfacial forces are in balance. An energy stability analysis reveals that one drop per wavelength is the most energetically favorable. An extension of the analysis, based on the boundary integral method, is described for arbitrary Bond number and creeping flow conditions, aimed at identifying a Bond number below which stable pendant drops are possible. Simulations are shown for Bond numbers in the range 0.4≤B≤10 for fluids of equal viscosity. When the Bond number is relatively large, the interface takes the form of a circular front that penetrates into the overlying fluid, followed by a trailing plume. A critical Bond number is found, which leads to steady‐state shapes in the form of pendant drops, confirming the predictions of the asymptotic analysis.

Film flow on a rotating disk

Abstract: Unsteady liquid film flow on a rotating disk is analyzed by asymptotic methods for low and high Reynolds numbers. The analysis elucidates how a film of uniform thickness thins when the disk is set in steady rotation. In the low Reynolds number analysis two time scales for the thinning film are identified. The long‐time‐scale analysis ignores the initial acceleration of the fluid layer and hence is singular at the onset of rotation. The singularity is removed by matching the long‐time‐scale expansion for the transient film thickness with a short‐time‐scale expansion that accounts for fluid acceleration during spinup. The leading order term in the long‐time‐scale solution for the transient film thickness is shown to be a lower bound for film thickness for all time. A short‐time analysis that accounts for boundary layer growth at the disk surface is also presented for arbitrary Reynolds number. The analysis becomes invalid either when the boundary layer has a thickness comparable to that of the thinning film, or when nonlinear effects become important.

Long-scale evolution of thin liquid films

Abstract: Macroscopic thin liquid films are entities that are important in biophysics, physics, and engineering, as well as in natural settings. They can be composed of common liquids such as water or oil, rheologically complex materials such as polymers solutions or melts, or complex mixtures of phases or components. When the films are subjected to the action of various mechanical, thermal, or structural factors, they display interesting dynamic phenomena such as wave propagation, wave steepening, and development of chaotic responses. Such films can display rupture phenomena creating holes, spreading of fronts, and the development of fingers. In this review a unified mathematical theory is presented that takes advantage of the disparity of the length scales and is based on the asymptotic procedure of reduction of the full set of governing equations and boundary conditions to a simplified, highly nonlinear, evolution equation or to a set of equations. As a result of this long-wave theory, a mathematical system is obtained that does not have the mathematical complexity of the original free-boundary problem but does preserve many of the important features of its physics. The basics of the long-wave theory are explained. If, in addition, the Reynolds number of the flow is not too large, the analogy with Reynolds's theory of lubrication can be drawn. A general nonlinear evolution equation or equations are then derived and various particular cases are considered. Each case contains a discussion of the linear stability properties of the base-state solutions and of the nonlinear spatiotemporal evolution of the interface (and other scalar variables, such as temperature or solute concentration). The cases reducing to a single highly nonlinear evolution equation are first examined. These include: (a) films with constant interfacial shear stress and constant surface tension, (b) films with constant surface tension and gravity only, (c) films with van der Waals (long-range molecular) forces and constant surface tension only, (d) films with thermocapillarity, surface tension, and body force only, (e) films with temperature-dependent physical properties, (f) evaporating/condensing films, (g) films on a thick substrate, (h) films on a horizontal cylinder, and (i) films on a rotating disc. The dynamics of the films with a spatial dependence of the base-state solution are then studied. These include the examples of nonuniform temperature or heat flux at liquid-solid boundaries. Problems which reduce to a set of nonlinear evolution equations are considered next. Those include (a) the dynamics of free liquid films, (b) bounded films with interfacial viscosity, and (c) dynamics of soluble and insoluble surfactants in bounded and free films. The spreading of drops on a solid surface and moving contact lines, including effects of heat and mass transport and van der Waals attractions, are then addressed. Several related topics such as falling films and sheets and Hele-Shaw flows are also briefly discussed. The results discussed give motivation for the development of careful experiments which can be used to test the theories and exhibit new phenomena.

The MEMS Handbook

Abstract: Part I: Background and Fundamentals Introduction, Mohamed Gad-el-Hak, University of Notre Dame Scaling of Micromechanical Devices, William Trimmer, Standard MEMS, Inc., and Robert H. Stroud, Aerospace Corporation Mechanical Properties of MEMS Materials, William N. Sharpe, Jr., Johns Hopkins University Flow Physics, Mohamed Gad-el-Hak, University of Notre Dame Integrated Simulation for MEMS: Coupling Flow-Structure-Thermal-Electrical Domains, Robert M. Kirby and George Em Karniadakis, Brown University, and Oleg Mikulchenko and Kartikeya Mayaram, Oregon State University Liquid Flows in Microchannels, Kendra V. Sharp and Ronald J. Adrian, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Juan G. Santiago and Joshua I. Molho, Stanford University Burnett Simulations of Flows in Microdevices, Ramesh K. Agarwal and Keon-Young Yun, Wichita State University Molecular-Based Microfluidic Simulation Models, Ali Beskok, Texas A&M University Lubrication in MEMS, Kenneth S. Breuer, Brown University Physics of Thin Liquid Films, Alexander Oron, Technion, Israel Bubble/Drop Transport in Microchannels, Hsueh-Chia Chang, University of Notre Dame Fundamentals of Control Theory, Bill Goodwine, University of Notre Dame Model-Based Flow Control for Distributed Architectures, Thomas R. Bewley, University of California, San Diego Soft Computing in Control, Mihir Sen and Bill Goodwine, University of Notre Dame Part II: Design and Fabrication Materials for Microelectromechanical Systems Christian A. Zorman and Mehran Mehregany, Case Western Reserve University MEMS Fabrication, Marc J. Madou, Nanogen, Inc. LIGA and Other Replication Techniques, Marc J. Madou, Nanogen, Inc. X-Ray-Based Fabrication, Todd Christenson, Sandia National Laboratories Electrochemical Fabrication (EFAB), Adam L. Cohen, MEMGen Corporation Fabrication and Characterization of Single-Crystal Silicon Carbide MEMS, Robert S. Okojie, NASA Glenn Research Center Deep Reactive Ion Etching for Bulk Micromachining of Silicon Carbide, Glenn M. Beheim, NASA Glenn Research Center Microfabricated Chemical Sensors for Aerospace Applications, Gary W. Hunter, NASA Glenn Research Center, Chung-Chiun Liu, Case Western Reserve University, and Darby B. Makel, Makel Engineering, Inc. Packaging of Harsh-Environment MEMS Devices, Liang-Yu Chen and Jih-Fen Lei, NASA Glenn Research Center Part III: Applications of MEMS Inertial Sensors, Paul L. Bergstrom, Michigan Technological University, and Gary G. Li, OMM, Inc. Micromachined Pressure Sensors, Jae-Sung Park, Chester Wilson, and Yogesh B. Gianchandani, University of Wisconsin-Madison Sensors and Actuators for Turbulent Flows. Lennart Loefdahl, Chalmers University of Technology, and Mohamed Gad-el-Hak, University of Notre Dame Surface-Micromachined Mechanisms, Andrew D. Oliver and David W. Plummer, Sandia National Laboratories Microrobotics Thorbjoern Ebefors and Goeran Stemme, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden Microscale Vacuum Pumps, E. Phillip Muntz, University of Southern California, and Stephen E. Vargo, SiWave, Inc. Microdroplet Generators. Fan-Gang Tseng, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan Micro Heat Pipes and Micro Heat Spreaders, G. P. "Bud" Peterson, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Microchannel Heat Sinks, Yitshak Zohar, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Flow Control, Mohamed Gad-el-Hak, University of Notre Dame) Part IV: The Future Reactive Control for Skin-Friction Reduction, Haecheon Choi, Seoul National University Towards MEMS Autonomous Control of Free-Shear Flows, Ahmed Naguib, Michigan State University Fabrication Technologies for Nanoelectromechanical Systems, Gary H. Bernstein, Holly V. Goodson, and Gregory L. Snider, University of Notre Dame Index

Instabilities in viscoelastic flows

Abstract: Viscoelastic instabilities are of practical importance, and are the subject of growing interest. Reviewed here are the fresh developments as well as earlier work in this area, organized into the following categories: instabilities in Taylor-Couette flows, instabilities in cone-and-plate and plate-and-plate flows, instabilities in parallel shear flows, extrudate distortions and fracture, instabilities in shear flows with interfaces, instabilities in extensional flows, instabilities in multidimensional flows, and thermohydrodynamic instabilities. Emphasized in the review are comparisons between theory and experiment and suggested directions for future work.