ELECTRIC-FIELD-INDUCED DIFFUSION-LIMITED AGGREGATION

Electric-field-induced diffusion-limited aggregation (EDLA) fractals f ormed by the suspended metal microspheres in an oil are observed exper imentally. The formation of an EDLA fractal is due to the interaction of the dipole-dipole force induced on the metal microspheres when thes e microspheres are presented in an external electric field. The EDLA f ractal grows as the applied field strength is slowly increased. At a f ixed volume fraction phi, the dimensions D-f of all fractals formed un der the different space fields are in the range of 1.72+/-0.1. We find that the fractal dimension D-f changes as the volume fraction phi of metal particles varies and satisfies the relationship of D-f similar t o phi(m), where m is approximately 1.52.