The European Physical Journal Applied Physics

Table of Contents - May 2003 - Volume 22, Issue 02  

Imaging, Microscopy and Spectroscopy

The role of anisotropy in the thermoelectric detection of holes in metals

A. H. Nayfeha1, W. I. Faidia2 and M. I. Jaghouba3

The Hashemite University, PO Box 150459, Zarqa 13115, Jordan

University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0070, USA

The Hashemite University, PO Box 150459, Zarqa 13115, Jordan

Abstract

In this paper we demonstrate that the presence of thermoelectric anisotropy, no matter how small, can be exploited to unmask the presence of cracks and holes in metals. This is in direct contrast with situations involving isotropic metals where such detection is not possible. Although such a phenomenon will occur for all types and shapes of cracks and holes, for simplicity we shall demonstrate our theoretical and numerical modeling on the more mathematically tractable case of a cylindrical hole aligned along an axis of symmetry of an anisotropic metal medium.

(Received July 17 2002)

(Revised February 19 2003)

(Accepted February 28 2003)

(Online publication April 10 2003)

PACS:

  • 72.80.Tm – Composite materials;
  • 72.15.Gd – Galvanomagnetic and other magnetotransport effects

anayfeh@hu.edu.jo