Equilibrium shapes and their stability for liquid films in fast flows

ORAL

Abstract

We present the results of a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of a suspended liquid film deformed by an external flow en route to forming a bubble. We identify a family of nonminimal but stable equilibrium shapes for flow speeds up to a critical value, beyond which the film inflates unstably. A model based on free-streamline theory accounts for the observed nonlinear deformations and forces. Our theoretical predictions suggest that bubble formation at low speeds results from the instability of overly-inflated shapes, and at high speeds from the loss of equilibrium solutions.

*We acknowledge support from the grant NSF-CBET-1805506, and from the Lilian and George Lyttle Chair.

Presenters

  • Anand Oza

    • Department of Mathematical Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology
    • New Jersey Institute of Technology

Authors

  • Anand Oza

    • Department of Mathematical Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology
    • New Jersey Institute of Technology
  • Likhit Ganedi

    • Department of Mathematical Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University
  • Michael John Shelley

    • Flatiron Institute
    • Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute
    • Courant Institute / Flatiron Institute
    • CCB, Flatiron Institute
    • New York University
    • New York University - Courant Institute, Flatiron Institute
  • Leif Ristroph

    • Courant Institute
    • New York University - Courant Institute
    • Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University