In Siberia learned to control a levitating drop.

Scientists of Tyumen state University, stated that learned to control drip clusters, floating above the water surface. TASS reported today, citing the press service of the University.

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This phenomenon, science was not known until 2003, when he was made the first pictures of the droplet cluster. As the name implies, it is a cluster drops, but very small: a diameter of about 1/20 of a millimeter. They arise in the process of evaporation of the water and levitated above the surface at the height approximately equal to their diameter. Microdroplets are arranged in single-layer hexagonal structure – the so-called “flat fog.”

For water heating, the researchers used a laser, and to control drops – infrared radiation. Water stalowego on a substrate of glass (a composite material, often referred to as “glass ceramics”) was heated, and when it has evaporated over the surface of the formed layer drops about 35 micrometers in diameter.

having encompassed them with infrared rays, the researchers found that in this way can change the size of the droplet without irradiation, they grow under the action of the rays, respectively, are reduced.

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As stated in Tyumen experts, knowing this property, you can create and control a levitating structure of the microdroplets. This, in turn, will allow to investigate chemical processes occurring in small volumes of liquid.

“you Can take a drop, put it a chemical compound and to study in detail – what happened, – says the author of a scientific work, Professor of Department of micro and nanotechnology Alexander Fedorets. – It allows to explore, for example, aerosols produced during the spraying of pesticides.”

Drip clusters can be helpful in studies of biochemical processes occurring in cells. Or with incredible accuracy up to millionths of a microliter – dosing of a liquid.