Laser-induced capillary effect in thin layers of water-alcohol mixtures

The effect of droplet formation in thin layers of water-alcohol mixtures upon laser heating was studied. The droplet growth in the laser beam is governed by the surface tension gradient, which induces solutocapillary flows from the periphery to the center of the heated area. This gradient arises due to the local increase in surface tension caused by the evaporation of alcohol from the heated area of the layer. The experimental results have shown that the increase in the initial concentration of water in the mixture gives rise to the increase in droplet size. However, the increase in the power of laser irradiation leads to a decrease in the droplet growth rate. A simplified one-dimensional model of droplet growth is developed. The model involves the dependence of surface tension on both the temperature and concentration of components in the mixture, as well as the evaporation and condensation of alcohol. The experimental results are compared with those obtained using numerical simulations. A reasonable agreement between experimental and numerical results was shown.