Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026

The Preparation of Electrohydrodynamic Bridges from Polar Dielectric Liquids
Published on: September 30, 2014
Nonlinear deformations of liquid-liquid interfaces induced by electromagnetic radiation pressure
Aslak Hallanger1, Iver Brevik, Skjalg Haaland
1Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway. aslakhallanger@hotmail.com
Abstract:
The idea of working with a near-critical phase-separated liquid mixture whereby the surface tension becomes weak, has recently made the field of laser manipulation of liquid interfaces a much more convenient tool in practice. The deformation of interfaces may become as large as several tenths of micrometers, even with the use of conventional laser power. This circumstance necessitates the use of nonlinear geometrical theory for the description of surface deformations. The present paper works out such a theory, for the surface deformation under conditions of axial symmetry and stationarity. Good agreement is found with the experimental results of Casner and Delville [A. Casner and J. P. Delville, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 054503 (2001); Opt. Lett. 26, 1418 (2001); Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 144503 (2003)], in the case of moderate power or a broad laser beam. In the case of large power and a narrow beam, corresponding to surface deformations of about 50 micrometers or higher, the theory is found to over-predict the deformation. Possible explanations of this discrepancy are discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Fluid Pressure over Curved Plate of Constant Width
Standing Waves in a Cavity
Navier–Stokes Equations
Fluid Pressure over Flat Plate of Variable Width
The pressure distribution on the plate can be calculated by determining the force that acts on a differential area strip of the plate. Thus, the magnitude of the force is equal to the...
Excess Pressure Inside a Drop and a Bubble
Pressure Variation in a Fluid at Rest
When measuring pressure at two different levels within the fluid, the difference in pressure...

