Radial-pattern formation in the polycarbonate substratum of recordable compact disks

A radial pattern is found to form in the polycarbonate (PC) substratum of a recordable compact disk. Characteristic features of the pattern are that it is composed of about 80 needle-like regions, the shape of which closely resembles a thin film. In addition, white light is found to scatter at the needle-like region/matrix boundaries. This suggests that the PC substratum may have inferior transparency due to the formation of this pattern. Thus, it is important to understand the bifurcation of the radial-pattern formation from the viewpoint of materials science and engineering. Based on the mechanics of the PC viscous fluid, it has been found that the bifurcation of the pattern formation has a Reynolds number of about 10^-3. © 2001 American Institute of Physics.