By using digital video microscopy, we study the three-dimensional displacement of fluorescent colloidal particles that are located close to a water-air interface. Our technique takes advantage of the diffraction pattern generated by fluorescent spheres that are found below the focal plane of the microscope objective. By means of image analysis software, we are able to determine the spatial location of a few beads in a sequence of digital images, which allows us to reconstruct their trajectories. From their corresponding mean square displacements, we get the diffusion coefficients in the directions parallel and perpendicular to the interface. We find a qualitatively different kind of diffusion between the two directions, in agreement with theoretical predictions that are obtained from established models as well as our own proposals. Quite interesting, we observe the enhanced Brownian motion in the parallel direction.

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Over the last years extensively research has been carried out on full or partial substitution of supplies resources coming from renewable resources on traditionally non-renewable, in the case of the automobile sector there are progresses in bio-combustibles (biofuel) and synthetic oils coming from vegetable sources. There are strong efforts to find oil additives which can improve oils features in automobile industry, by adding vegetables oils to commercial lubricant oils, is expected to improve oil thermal stability.  In the present research, different ratios of castor oil (ricinus comunis)-motor oil blends were obtained and their thermal properties were characterized by using the so-called Back and Front Photopyroelectric (BPPE/FPPE) techniques. Several oil-additives concentrations were measured and thermal diffusivities and effusivities as well as densities are reported, getting full thermal characterization for every concentration.

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