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Buckling of liquid columns.
M Habibi1, Y Rahmani, Daniel Bonn
1Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences, Zanjan 45195-1159, Iran.
Physical Review Letters
|April 7, 2010
Summary
Falling viscous liquid columns exhibit complex buckling behaviors. Three modes—viscous, gravitational, and inertial—determine the instability, leading to multiple coexisting states like steady flow, coiling, and a novel rotating fold state.
Area of Science:
- Fluid dynamics
- Rheology
- Instability phenomena
Background:
- Viscous liquid columns falling on surfaces can buckle.
- The complexity of this liquid buckling instability is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the complex behaviors of falling viscous liquid columns.
- To identify the different modes and resulting states of liquid buckling.
Main Methods:
- Experimental observations of liquid column behavior.
- Theoretical modeling to understand the underlying physics.
Main Results:
- Identified three distinct buckling modes: viscous, gravitational, and inertial.
- Observed multistability with three states: steady stagnation flow, liquid rope coiling, and a new rotating fold state.
- Characterized subcritical transitions and a complex phase diagram with coexisting states.
Conclusions:
- Liquid buckling is more complex than previously thought, driven by the balance of viscous, gravitational, and inertial forces.
- The system exhibits multistability, with distinct coexisting states depending on parameters.
- A novel state of periodic folding and rotation was discovered.
