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We investigate pattern formation in the very early stages of solutal convective instabilities in a suspension of highly thermophilic nanoparticles heated from above. The processing of shadowgraph images allows us to recover the spatial... more
We investigate pattern formation in the very early stages of solutal convective instabilities in a suspension of highly thermophilic nanoparticles heated from above. The processing of shadowgraph images allows us to recover the spatial power spectrum of the excitations at the onset. Remarkably, the power spectra obtained at large solutal Rayleigh numbers 2.56 x 10;{6}< or =Ra_{s}< or =4.53 x 10;{8} scale onto a single curve without adjustable parameters. The critical wave number exhibits power-law scaling with exponent 1/4 as a function of Ra_{s} , in excellent agreement with recent theoretical predictions.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Recently the investigation of non-stationary systems exhibiting spatial and dynamic heterogeneities has propelled the development of innovative optical techniques providing the missing link between the scattering and imaging approaches.... more
Recently the investigation of non-stationary systems exhibiting spatial and dynamic heterogeneities has propelled the development of innovative optical techniques providing the missing link between the scattering and imaging approaches. The novel techniques are characterized by the fact that the scattered radiation is measured close to the sample. They allow to recover information on the structure and dynamics of the system under investigation equivalent to that available with scattering techniques, with the great advantage that they ...
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Diffusion processes are widespread in biological and chemical systems, where they play a fundamental role in the exchange of substances at the cellular level and in determining the rate of chemical reactions. Recently, the classical... more
Diffusion processes are widespread in biological and chemical systems, where they play a fundamental role in the exchange of substances at the cellular level and in determining the rate of chemical reactions. Recently, the classical picture that portrays diffusion as random uncorrelated motion of molecules has been revised, when it was shown that giant non-equilibrium fluctuations develop during diffusion processes. Under microgravity conditions and at steady-state, non-equilibrium fluctuations exhibit scale invariance and their size is only limited by the boundaries of the system. In this work, we investigate the onset of non-equilibrium concentration fluctuations induced by thermophoretic diffusion in microgravity, a regime not accessible to analytical calculations but of great relevance for the understanding of several natural and technological processes. A combination of state of the art simulations and experiments allows us to attain a fully quantitative description of the development of fluctuations during transient diffusion in microgravity. Both experiments and simulations show that during the onset the fluctuations exhibit scale invariance at large wave vectors. In a broader range of wave vectors simulations predict a spinodal-like growth of fluctuations, where the amplitude and length-scale of the dominant mode are determined by the thickness of the diffuse layer.
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Planar cellular networks are made of polygonal cells usually having an average of six sides and trivalent vertices. We analyze the topological properties of spoke patterns observed in the convection of highly viscous fluids. The... more
Planar cellular networks are made of polygonal cells usually having an average of six sides and trivalent vertices. We analyze the topological properties of spoke patterns observed in the convection of highly viscous fluids. The competition between ascending and descending columns of fluid generates dual networks where on average cells are four sided and vertices tetravalent. This observation identifies a new class of dual networks satisfying a mutual Voronoi relation. The metric of the pattern is dominated by the distance between nearest neighbors vertices of opposite species.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
A wavelet transform spectrum analyzer operating in real time within the frequency range 3X10^(-5) - 1.3X10^5 Hz has been implemented on a low-cost Digital Signal Processing board operating at 150MHz. The wavelet decomposition of the... more
A wavelet transform spectrum analyzer operating in real time within the frequency range 3X10^(-5) - 1.3X10^5 Hz has been implemented on a low-cost Digital Signal Processing board operating at 150MHz. The wavelet decomposition of the signal allows to efficiently process non-stationary signals dominated by large amplitude events fairly well localized in time, thus providing the natural tool to analyze processes characterized by 1/f^alpha power spectrum. The parallel architecture of the DSP allows the real-time processing of the wavelet transform of the signal sampled at 0.3MHz. The bandwidth is about 220dB, almost ten decades. The power spectrum of the scattered intensity is processed in real time from the mean square value of the wavelet coefficients within each frequency band. The performances of the spectrum analyzer have been investigated by performing Dynamic Light Scattering experiments on colloidal suspensions and by comparing the measured spectra with the correlation functions data obtained with a traditional multi tau correlator. In order to asses the potentialities of the spectrum analyzer in the investigation of processes involving a wide range of timescales, we have performed measurements on a model system where fluctuations in the scattered intensities are generated by the number fluctuations in a dilute colloidal suspension illuminated by a wide beam. This system is characterized by a power-law spectrum with exponent -3/2 in the scattered intensity fluctuations. The spectrum analyzer allows to recover the power spectrum with a dynamic range spanning about 8 decades. The advantages of wavelet analysis versus correlation analysis in the investigation of processes characterized by a wide distribution of time scales and non-stationary processes are briefly discussed.
Research Interests: Digital Signal Processing, Wavelet Analysis, Scientific Instruments, Wavelet Transform, Power Law, and 13 moreDynamic Light Scattering, Wavelet Decomposition, Real Time, Spectrum, Power Spectrum, Correlation Analysis, Model System, Real-Time Data Processing, Colloidal Suspension, Performance Measure, Parallel Architecture, Dynamic Range, and Correlation function
Non-equilibrium fluctuations in microgravity : initial results of GRADFLEX aboard FOTON-M3 / A. Vailati, R. Cerbino, S. Mazzoni, CJ Takacs, M. Giglio, DS Cannell. - In: Journal of the Japan Society of Microgravity Application. - ISSN... more
Non-equilibrium fluctuations in microgravity : initial results of GRADFLEX aboard FOTON-M3 / A. Vailati, R. Cerbino, S. Mazzoni, CJ Takacs, M. Giglio, DS Cannell. - In: Journal of the Japan Society of Microgravity Application. - ISSN 0915-3616. - 25:3(2008). - p. 617-621. (( ...
Recent experimental and theoretical works have shown that giant fluctuations are present during diffusion in liquid systems. We use linearized fluctuating hydrodynamics to calculate the net mass transfer due to these nonequilibrium... more
Recent experimental and theoretical works have shown that giant fluctuations are present during diffusion in liquid systems. We use linearized fluctuating hydrodynamics to calculate the net mass transfer due to these nonequilibrium fluctuations. Remarkably, the mass flow turns out to coincide with the usual Fick's one. The renormalization of the hydrodynamic equations allows us to quantify the gravitational modifications of the diffusion coefficient induced by the gravitational stabilization of long wavelength fluctuations.
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We describe an optical technique based on the statistical analysis of the random intensity distribution due to the interference of the near-field scattered light with the strong transmitted beam. It is shown that, from the study of the... more
We describe an optical technique based on the statistical analysis of the random intensity distribution due to the interference of the near-field scattered light with the strong transmitted beam. It is shown that, from the study of the two-dimensional power spectrum of the intensity, one derives the scattered intensity as a function of the scattering wave vector. Near-field conditions are specified and discussed. The substantial advantages over traditional scattering technique are pointed out, and is indicated that the technique could be of interest for wavelengths other than visible light.
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We report the results of an experimental study of the static and dynamic properties of long wavelength concentration fluctuations in a mixture of glycerol and water undergoing free diffusion. The shadowgraph method was used to measure... more
We report the results of an experimental study of the static and dynamic properties of long wavelength concentration fluctuations in a mixture of glycerol and water undergoing free diffusion. The shadowgraph method was used to measure both the mean-squared amplitude and the temporal correlation function of the fluctuations for wave vectors so small as to be inaccessible to dynamic light scattering. For a fluid with a stabilizing vertical concentration gradient, the fluctuations are predicted to have a decay rate that increases with decreasing wave vector q , for wave vectors below a cutoff wave vector qC , determined by gravity and the fluid properties. This behavior is caused by buoyant forces acting on the fluctuations. We find that for wave vectors above ˜qC , the decay rate does vary in the normal diffusive manner as Dq2 , where D is the mass diffusion coefficient. Furthermore, for q≲qC we find that longer wavelength fluctuations decay more rapidly than do shorter wavelength fluctuations, i.e., the behavior is nondiffusive, as predicted.
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Research Interests:
Macroscopic concentration gradients in physical systems relax towards equilibrium by diffusion, in the absence of bulk motion. This is normally regarded as a spatially homogeneous mixing process. Here, however, we show that unexpectedly... more
Macroscopic concentration gradients in physical systems relax towards equilibrium by diffusion, in the absence of bulk motion. This is normally regarded as a spatially homogeneous mixing process. Here, however, we show that unexpectedly large spatial fluctuations in concentration can occur during a free diffusion process. We set up an initially sharp interface between two miscible fluids by letting a mixture
Research Interests: Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, and 49 moreMarine Biology, Neuroscience, Environmental Science, Geophysics, Physics, Materials Science, Quantum Physics, Developmental Biology, Immunology, Climate Change, Molecular Biology, Structural Biology, Genomics, RNA, Computational Biology, Transcriptomics, Light Scattering, Biotechnology, Systems Biology, Cancer, Biology, Metabolomics, Cell Cycle, Proteomics, Ecology, Drug Discovery, Evolution, Nanotechnology, Astrophysics, Neurobiology, Medicine, Multidisciplinary, Palaeobiology, Functional Genomics, Nature, Signal Transduction, Astronomy, DNA, Diffusion, Cell Signalling, Medical Research, Interfaces, Interface, Fluctuations, Mixtures, Phase Separation, Miscibility, Earth Science, and Thermodynamic Properties
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The aim of the study was to analyze the frequency of incidental thyroid carcinoma (unknown tumor smaller than or equal to 10 mm) in a consecutive series of 462 total thyroidectomies for multinodular goiter and to investigate the clinical... more
The aim of the study was to analyze the frequency of incidental thyroid carcinoma (unknown tumor smaller than or equal to 10 mm) in a consecutive series of 462 total thyroidectomies for multinodular goiter and to investigate the clinical risk factors for this type of malignancy. A retrospective, single-center study of outcome data collected from patients with preoperative diagnosis of multinodular goiter who underwent total thyroidectomy at the General Surgery Unit of Pavia (Italy) between January 2000 and December 2008 was performed. Possible risk factors for malignancy were: gender, age, time of evolution of goiter, presence of a dominant nodule in multinodular goiter, hyperthyroidism, history of radiation to the neck, residence in an area of endemic goiter, prior thyroid surgery, calcifications in the goiter detected by neck ultrasound or chest X-rays, and a family history of thyroid diseases. In a 9-year period, 462 patients underwent total thyroidectomy. We found 41 cases of in...
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Research Interests:
Reaction Limited Cluster Aggregation is a well known process showing universal features: i) aggregates are fractal with a fractal dimension d f ≅ 2.1, ii) the cluster mass distribution N(m) decays as m −τ for small m and exhibits a fast... more
Reaction Limited Cluster Aggregation is a well known process showing universal features: i) aggregates are fractal with a fractal dimension d f ≅ 2.1, ii) the cluster mass distribution N(m) decays as m −τ for small m and exhibits a fast cut-off exp ( \frac -</font > mmc )\left( {\frac{{ - m}}{{m_c }}} \right) at large m, and iii) m
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Research Interests:
Research Interests:
A fluctuating hydrodynamics approach is presented for the calculation of the structure factor for time-dependent nonequilibrium diffusive processes in binary liquid mixtures. The hydrodynamic equations are linearized around the... more
A fluctuating hydrodynamics approach is presented for the calculation of the structure factor for time-dependent nonequilibrium diffusive processes in binary liquid mixtures. The hydrodynamic equations are linearized around the time-dependent macroscopic state given by the usual phenomenological diffusion equation. The cases of free diffusion, thermal diffusion, and barodiffusion are considered in detail. The results are used to describe the low-angle
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We present recent results in the field of colloidal aggregation. We first present static light scattering data of aggregation in intermediate regimes between RLCA and DLCA. In particular, we show that working with dense solutions, new and... more
We present recent results in the field of colloidal aggregation. We first present static light scattering data of aggregation in intermediate regimes between RLCA and DLCA. In particular, we show that working with dense solutions, new and unexpected features are observed. In fact, we measure intensity distributions strongly peaked at q≠0, which scale according to the same scaling law typical
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Macroscopic concentration gradients in physical systems relax towards equilibrium by diffusion, in the absence of bulk motion. This is normally regarded as a spatially homogeneous mixing process. Here, however, we show that unexpectedly... more
Macroscopic concentration gradients in physical systems relax towards equilibrium by diffusion, in the absence of bulk motion. This is normally regarded as a spatially homogeneous mixing process. Here, however, we show that unexpectedly large spatial fluctuations in concentration can occur during a free diffusion process. We set up an initially sharp interface between two miscible fluids by letting a mixture
Research Interests: Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, and 49 moreMarine Biology, Neuroscience, Environmental Science, Geophysics, Physics, Materials Science, Quantum Physics, Developmental Biology, Immunology, Climate Change, Molecular Biology, Structural Biology, Genomics, RNA, Computational Biology, Transcriptomics, Light Scattering, Biotechnology, Systems Biology, Cancer, Biology, Metabolomics, Cell Cycle, Proteomics, Ecology, Drug Discovery, Evolution, Nanotechnology, Astrophysics, Neurobiology, Medicine, Multidisciplinary, Palaeobiology, Functional Genomics, Nature, Signal Transduction, Astronomy, DNA, Diffusion, Cell Signalling, Medical Research, Interfaces, Interface, Fluctuations, Mixtures, Phase Separation, Miscibility, Earth Science, and Thermodynamic Properties
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Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Engineering, Digital Signal Processing, Wavelet Analysis, Scientific Instruments, Wavelet Transform, and 17 morePower Law, Physical sciences, Dynamic Light Scattering, Wavelet Decomposition, Real Time, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Spectrum Analyzer, Spectrum, Power Spectrum, Correlation Analysis, Model System, Real-Time Data Processing, Colloidal Suspension, Performance Measure, Parallel Architecture, Dynamic Range, and Correlation function
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Abstract In this paper we show how by exploiting thermophoresis in nanoparticles (NPs) aqueous dispersions it is possible to perform convection experiments at high solutal Prandtl number Pr s. We describe the experimental tools necessary... more
Abstract In this paper we show how by exploiting thermophoresis in nanoparticles (NPs) aqueous dispersions it is possible to perform convection experiments at high solutal Prandtl number Pr s. We describe the experimental tools necessary to produce and analyze the faint density modulations induced by the convective flow. The study of the transition to instability after the application of a sudden temperature gradient, allows realizing a Gedanken experiment suggested by Howard 40 years ago. The result is a measurement of the ...
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Research Interests:
We report data for nonequilibrium density fluctuations in a layer of liquid CS(2) subjected to temperature gradients on Earth and in a satellite. The structure factor S(q) was measured using a calibrated shadowgraph. Upon removing... more
We report data for nonequilibrium density fluctuations in a layer of liquid CS(2) subjected to temperature gradients on Earth and in a satellite. The structure factor S(q) was measured using a calibrated shadowgraph. Upon removing gravity, S(q) increased dramatically at small wave vector, until the fluctuations generated by thermal noise were limited only by the 3 mm sample thickness. The results agree with theory to within a few percent on Earth and are ∼14% below theory in microgravity, demonstrating that the use of equilibrium Langevin forces is appropriate in this nonequilibrium situation.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Planar cellular networks are made of polygonal cells usually having an average of six sides and trivalent vertices. We analyze the topological properties of spoke patterns observed in the convection of highly viscous fluids. The... more
Planar cellular networks are made of polygonal cells usually having an average of six sides and trivalent vertices. We analyze the topological properties of spoke patterns observed in the convection of highly viscous fluids. The competition between ascending and descending columns of fluid generates dual networks where on average cells are four sided and vertices tetravalent. This observation identifies a new class of dual networks satisfying a mutual Voronoi relation. The metric of the pattern is dominated by the distance between nearest neighbors vertices of opposite species.
Research Interests:
Heat convection in water can be suppressed by adding a small amount of highly thermophilic nanoparticles. We show that such suppression is not effective when a suspension with uniform concentration of nanoparticles is suddenly heated from... more
Heat convection in water can be suppressed by adding a small amount of highly thermophilic nanoparticles. We show that such suppression is not effective when a suspension with uniform concentration of nanoparticles is suddenly heated from below. At Rayleigh numbers smaller than a sample dependent threshold Ra;{*} we observe transient oscillatory convection. Unexpectedly, the duration of convection diverges at Ra;{*}. Above Ra;{*} oscillatory convection becomes permanent and the heat transferred exhibits bistability. Our results are explained only partially and qualitatively by existing theories.