Thermoelectricity at a gallium-mercury liquid metal interface.

ABSTRACT: We present experimental evidence of a thermoelectric effect at the interface between two liquid metals. Using superimposed layers of mercury and gallium in a cylindrical vessel operating at room temperature, we provide a direct measurement of the electric current generated by the presence of a thermal gradient along a liquid-liquid interface. At the interface between two liquids, temperature gradients induced by thermal convection lead to a complex geometry of electric currents, ultimately generating current densities near boundaries that are significantly higher than those observed in conventional solid-state thermoelectricity. When a magnetic field is applied to the experiment, an azimuthal shear flow, exhibiting opposite circulation in each layer, is generated. Depending on the value of

SUBMITTER: Vernet M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11194547 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature