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Microscopic high-speed liquid-metal jets in vacuum

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Abstract

The operation of microscopic high-speed liquid-metal jets in vacuum has been investigated. We show that such jets may be produced with good stability and collimation at higher speeds than previously demonstrated, provided that the nozzle design is appropriate and that cavitation-induced instabilities are avoided. The experiments with a medium-speed tin jet (u ∼ 60 m/s, Re=1.8×104, Z=2.9×10−3) showed that it operated without any signs of instabilities, whereas the stability of high-speed tin jets (d=30 μm, u=500 m/s, Re=5.6×104, Z=4.7×10−3) has been investigated via dynamic similarity using a water jet. Such a 500-m/s tin jet is required as the anode for high-brightness operation of a novel electron-impact X-ray source.

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Abbreviations

a :

Nozzle radius

c 0 :

Speed of sound in the jet liquid

d :

Jet diameter after contraction

d 0 :

Nozzle diameter

L :

Jet break-up length

Ma:

Mach number, jet-to-sound speed ratio

Re:

Reynolds number, inertial-to-viscous force ratio

T :

Temperature

u :

Jet speed after contraction

u 0 :

Jet speed at the nozzle exit

WeA :

Atmospheric Weber number, inertial-to-surface tension force ratio for the atmosphere

WeL :

Liquid Weber number, inertial-to-surface tension force ratio for the jet liquid

Z:

Ohnesorge number, viscous-to-surface tension force ratio

η0 :

Initial disturbance amplitude on the jet

μ:

Dynamic viscosity

ρA :

Density of the atmosphere

ρL :

Density of the jet liquid

σ:

Surface tension

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the fluid-mechanics discussions with G. Amberg and H. Alfredsson, as well as the experimental assistance of J. Thoresen. This work has been supported by the Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems and the Swedish Research Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomedical and X-Ray Physics, Royal Institute of Technology, KTH Albanova, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden

    M. Otendal, O. Hemberg, T. T. Tuohimaa & H. M. Hertz

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  1. M. Otendal
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  2. O. Hemberg
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  3. T. T. Tuohimaa
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  4. H. M. Hertz
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Correspondence to M. Otendal.

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Otendal, M., Hemberg, O., Tuohimaa, T.T. et al. Microscopic high-speed liquid-metal jets in vacuum. Exp Fluids 39, 799–804 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-005-0013-9

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