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Comparison of splashing in high- and low-viscosity liquids
Cacey S Stevens1, Andrzej Latka1, Sidney R Nagel1
1Department of Physics, The James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
Abstract:
We explore the evolution of a splash when a liquid drop impacts a smooth dry surface. There are two splashing regimes that occur when the liquid viscosity is varied as is evidenced by its dependence on ambient gas pressure. A high-viscosity drop splashes by emitting a thin sheet of liquid from a spreading liquid lamella long after the drop has first contacted the solid. Likewise, we find that there is also a delay in the ejection of a thin sheet when a low-viscosity drop splashes. We show how the ejection time of the thin sheet depends on liquid viscosity and ambient gas pressure.
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