Coalescence of fluid droplets in freely-suspended smectic liquid crystal films

ORAL

Abstract

We have studied the coalescence dynamics of the lens-shaped fluid droplets embedded in freely suspended smectic A liquid crystal films. The early time expansion of the bridge connecting the merging domains as a function of the time from the onset of coalescence is measured using high speed video microscopy. Optical interference is used to extract the shape evolution of the coalesced droplet with the measured thickness profiles giving fundamental insights into the transport processes within the droplets before and after coalescence. We compare the early-time growth of the bridge between the droplets with 2D and 3D theoretical predictions and propose a model of the fluid flow between the droplets to explain the coalescence dynamics.

*This work was supported by NASA Grant NNX-13AQ81G and NSF MRSEC Grant DMR-0820579.

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Authors

  • Cheol Park

    • Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder
    • University of Colorado

  • Zhiyuan Qi

    • University of Colorado

  • Joseph Maclennan

    • University of Colorado

  • Matthew Glaser

    • Univ of Colorado - Boulder
    • University of Colorado

  • Noel Clark

    • Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado
    • Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
    • Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder (CO) U.S.A.
    • Department of Physics, and the Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado at Boulder
    • University of Colorado