Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 26, 2026

Film Control to Study Contributions of Waves to Droplet Impact Dynamics on Thin Flowing Liquid Films
Published on: August 18, 2018
Role of cohesive energy in droplet fragmentation
Si Neng Sun1, Herbert M Urbassek
1Fachbereich Physik und Forschungszentrum für Optik und Materialwissenschaften OPTIMAS, Universität Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Abstract:
Using molecular-dynamics simulation, we investigate the fragmentation behavior of droplets after collision with a wall. We demonstrate that the ratio of the impact to the cohesive energy E(coh) of the droplet is the key quantity characterizing the droplet fragmentation process. To show this both van der Waals-bonded Ar and N(2) droplets and polar H(2)O droplets are studied. If the impact energy per molecule E<(0.35-0.4)E(coh), the droplet is reflected without fragmenting. Beyond that impact energy fragmentation of the droplet abruptly starts. At E=E(coh), the fragmentation process already results in a fine dispersal of the droplet into daughter droplets; the maximum fragment contains only less than 4% of the initial droplet mass and around one-third of the droplet has been shattered into isolated molecules. The disintegration process continuously increases with collision energy. These findings are relevant for the process of droplet fragmentation as used in the method of impact desolvation of electrosprayed microdroplets mass spectrometry.
Related Concept Videos
Cohesion
On a surface,...
Mass Spectrometry: Molecular Fragmentation Overview
One type of fragmentation pattern is the cleavage of a single bond in the molecular ion. The cleavage leads to a radical and a cation. The cleavage can occur at...
Basic Postulates of Kinetic Molecular Theory: Particle Size, Energy, and Collision
Bond Dissociation Energy and Activation Energy
Surface Tension of Fluid
Surface tension varies with...
Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...

