Electrohydrodynamic Quincke rotation of a prolate ellipsoid

Abstract

We experimentally study the occurrence of spontaneous spinning (Quincke rotation) of an ellipsoid in a uniform DC electric field. For an ellipsoid suspended in an unbounded fluid, we find two stable states characterized by the orientation of the ellipsoid long axis relative to the applied electric field : spinless (parallel) and spinning (perpendicular). The phase diagram of ellipsoid behavior as a function of field strength and aspect ratio is in close agreement with the theory of Cebers et al. Phys. Rev .E 63:016301 (2000). We also investigated the dynamics of the ellipsoidal Quincke rotor resting on a planar surface with normal perpendicular to the field direction. We find novel behaviors, such as swinging (long axis oscillating around the applied field direction) and tumbling, due to the confinement.