Affiliations: [a] Department of Materials Science and Chemical
Engineering, Shizuoka University, Johoku 3-5-1, Hamamatsu, 432-8561,
Japan | [b] Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 3P6, Canada | [c] Faculty of Education, Shinshu University, 6-ro,
Nishinagano, Nagano 380-8544, Japan
Abstract: A numerical simulation study was conducted for the "sessile drop
method" that is one of the essential tools for conducting measurements of
physical properties in droplets. The effect of the Marangoni convection on the
maximum flow velocity in a hemispheric molten silicon droplet was examined. The
maximum Reynolds number was correlated with the Marangoni and Biot numbers, and
the surrounding temperature by Re_{max}
= [-209.4{T_a(π/2)/T_{mp}} + 216.8] … (BiMa)
(when BiMa < 40) and Re_{max} =
[-472.5{T_a(π/2)/T_{mp}} + 491.3] …
(BiMa)^{2/3} (when BiMa > 40). Simulation
results show that the application of a vertical magnetic field can suppress the
flow in the droplet near the plate, and consequently prevent the movement of
the drop, and give rise to a diffusion-limited-condition near the plate where
accurate measurements of the physical properties of a melt can be made.
