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Self-excitation of Leidenfrost drops and consequences on their stability
Ambre Bouillant1,2, Caroline Cohen1,2, Christophe Clanet1,2
1Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes, UMR 7636 du CNRS, École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France.
Abstract:
Volatile liquids (water, alcohol, etc.) poured on hot solids levitate above a layer of vapor. Unexpectedly, these so-called Leidenfrost drops often suddenly start to oscillate with star shapes, a phenomenon first reported about 140 y ago. Similar shapes are known to be triggered when a liquid is subjected to an external periodic forcing, but the unforced Leidenfrost case remains unsolved. We show that the levitating drops are excited by an intrinsic periodic forcing arising from a vibration of the vapor cushion. We discuss the frequency of the vibrations and how they can excite surface standing waves possibly amplified under geometric conditions of resonance-an ensemble of observations that provide a plausible scenario for the origin, mode selection, and sporadic nature of the Leidenfrost stars.
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