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Geometry of the vapor layer under a Leidenfrost hydrogel sphere
Vicente L Diaz-Melian1, Isaac C D Lenton1, Jack Binysh2
1Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
None:
A floating Leidenfrost droplet exhibits curvature inversion of its underside, due to the balance of vapor pressure and surface tension. Using interferometric imaging, we find different behavior for a levitated hydrogel sphere. Curvature inversion is observed briefly just after deposition, but quickly gives way to a steady state with no inversion. We show the essential role of vaporization in shaping the underbelly of the hydrogel, where changes due to direct mass loss are more significant than the balance of vapor pressure and elastic forces.
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