The European Physical Journal Applied Physics

Table of Contents - February 2001 - Volume 13, Issue 02  

Research Article

Transport within a microtube induced by a surface acoustic wave

Kwang-Hua W. Chu

24 Lane 260, Section 1, Muja Road, Taipei, Taiwan 11646, ROC

Abstract

Continuum-mechanic derivations of the entrainment of rarefied gases induced by a surface acoustic wave (SAW) along the wall in a confined microtube are conducted by the perturbation method. Both no-slip and slip flow results are presented with the former ones matched with the previous approach by Yin and Fung. The critical reflux pressure-gradient values decrease as the Knudsen number increases from zero. Meanwhile, the (perturbed) mean flow induced by SAW along the wall of a microtube is proportional to the square of the wave-amplitude ratio which has been confirmed by previous experiments.

(Received October 4 1999)

(Revised June 23 2000)

(Accepted November 17 2000)

(Online publication February 15 2001)

PACS:

  • 47.45.-n – Rarefied gas dynamics