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Updated: May 14, 2026

Accurate Determination of the Equilibrium Surface Tension Values with Area Perturbation Tests
Published on: August 30, 2019
Manipulation of the Saffman-Taylor instability: a curvature-dependent surface tension approach
Francisco M Rocha1, José A Miranda
1Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco 50670-901, Brazil.
Abstract:
A variant of the classic Saffman-Taylor instability problem is reported, in which the surface tension at the fluid-fluid interface depends on the interfacial curvature. We show that the interplay between the variable surface tension and three-dimensional effects connected to the contact angle significantly modifies the scenario of instability formation. This allows the manipulation of the Saffman-Taylor instability, leading to the stabilization (destabilization) of conventionally unstable (stable) situations. This is done analytically through a perturbative mode-coupling approach, providing relevant information about both linear and weakly nonlinear regimes of interface evolution.
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