| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1783932 | Infrared Physics & Technology | 2016 | 9 Pages |
•Theoretical estimates of heating of water droplets by infrared radiation are presented.•The droplet size variation with time at different radiation power is studied experimentally.•The radiation power required to stabilize sizes of levitating droplets is found.•Possible use of microwave irradiation to solve the same problem is estimated.
Theoretical estimates based on the Mie solution for single droplets show that infrared irradiation of droplet clusters levitating over the heated water surface prevents the ordinary growth of droplets and subsequent coalescence of the droplet cluster with water layer. As a result, this irradiation can be used to stabilize the levitating clusters for a long time. This prediction is confirmed in the paper by a series of experiments with obtaining the required power of infrared irradiation. The resulting stable droplet clusters are considered as an appropriate laboratory model of atmospheric droplets to study biochemical processes in the droplets of natural mists and clouds. Possible use of sub-millimeter electromagnetic radiation to reach a similar stabilization effect is also analyzed in the paper.
