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Laser-induced thermal plumes in molecular liquids

Darin J. Ulness

Department of Chemistry

Concordia College, Moorhead, MN

UND Chemistry Seminar, Jan. 24, 2025

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Outline

Preliminary Concepts

Thermal Energy Transfer
Thermal Lensing
Thermal Plumes

Experimental Setup
Results

Alkanes
Water
Liquid/Air Interface

Preliminary Work

Laser Induced Soret Effect
Vitreous Humor

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Thermal energy transfer

Sample Cuvette

Molecular Liquid

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Thermal energy transfer

Excitation Laser

Local Heating

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Vibrational overtones

Stretch

Bend

Stretch

Bend

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Vibrational overtones

H.L. Fang, R.L. Swofford J. Chem. Phys. 73(6), 2607, (1980)

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Vibrational overtones

Excitation laser: 1030 nm, 9709 cm^-1

H.L. Fang, R.L. Swofford J. Chem. Phys. 73(6), 2607, (1980)

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Aside: a science story

M.E. Long, R.L. Swofford, A.C. Albrecht Science. 191, 183, (1976)

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Thermal energy transfer

Excitation Laser

Plume

Plumehead

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Thermal lens effect

Plumehead

Thermal Boundary

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Thermal plumes

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Thermal plumes

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Experimental setup

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Experimental setup

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Thermal plumes

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Data analysis

Acquire raw video
Track Plumehead
Create heatmap
Extract dynamics
Supplementary analysis, e.g. Fourier Analysis

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Data visualization: heatmaps

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Results: primary alkanes

n-pentane

n-nonane

n-tetradecane

J. Dominguez Lopez, M.W. Gealy, D.J. Ulness Liquids 3, 371-384, (2023)

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Results: primary alkanes

J. Dominguez Lopez, M.W. Gealy, D.J. Ulness Liquids 3, 371-384, (2023)

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Let s experiment: water

’

Recraft AI

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Let s experiment: water

’

Hydrogen bonding
Temperature of maximum density

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Let s experiment: water

’

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Results: water

J. Biebighauser, J. Dominguez Lopez, K. Strand, M. W. Gealy, D.J. Ulness Liquids 4, 332-351, (2024)

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Results: water

J. Biebighauser, J. Dominguez Lopez, K. Strand, M. W. Gealy, D.J. Ulness Liquids 4, 332-351, (2024)

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Results: water

J. Biebighauser, J. Dominguez Lopez, K. Strand, M. W. Gealy, D.J. Ulness Liquids 4, 332-351, (2024)

Water

NaCl soln

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Results: water

J. Biebighauser, J. Dominguez Lopez, K. Strand, M. W. Gealy, D.J. Ulness Liquids 4, 332-351, (2024)

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Results: survey of compounds

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Results: interfaces

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Results: interfaces

S.T. Oakes, R.W. Anderson, A. Rapelje, M.W. Gealy, D.J. Ulness Physica D 472, 134492 (2025)

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Results: interfaces

R.W. Anderson, A.I. Anderson, M.W. Gealy, D.J. Ulness Liquids 4, 732-743, (2024)

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Results: interfaces

S.T. Oakes, R.W. Anderson, A. Rapelje, M.W. Gealy, D.J. Ulness Physica D 472, 134492 (2025)

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To come: Soret effect

Methanol/undecanol mixture

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To come: artificial vitreous

transpupillary thermotherapy

O.P. Garcia et al. Internat. J. of Therm. Sci. 135, 444 (2019)

White Tail Deer

SD, USA

Hyaluronic Acid; 25 µg/mL

Hyaluronic Acid; 530 µg/mL

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Acknowledgements

Students

Allison Anderson
Reese Anderson
John Biebighauser
Johan Dominguez Lopez

Colleagues

Mark Gealy
Krys Strand

Sean Oakes
Jack Pelzel
Alex Rapelje

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