Microscale modelling of dielectrophoresis assembly processes

This work presents a microscale approach for simulating the
dielectrophoresis (DEP) assembly of polarizable particles under an
external electric field. The model is shown to capture interesting
dynamical and topological features, such as the formation of chains of
particles and their incipient aggregation into hierarchical structures. A
quantitative characterization in terms of the number and size of these
structures is also discussed. This computational model could represent a
viable numerical tool to study the mechanical properties of particle-based
hierarchical materials and suggest new strategies for enhancing their
design and manufacture.