The life and death of "Bare" viscous bubbles
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 30, 2026

Induction of Microstreaming by Nonspherical Bubble Oscillations in an Acoustic Levitation System
Published on: May 9, 2021
Debrgeas1, de Gennes P, Brochard-Wyart
1G. Debrgeas, James Frank Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. P.-G. de Gennes, cole Suprieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris, 10, rue Vauquelin, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France. F. Brochard-Wyart, Ins.
Abstract:
Air bubbles collect and explode at the surface of many viscous liquids, as observed with polymer foams, in glass furnaces, and during volcanic eruptions. The liquid film separating the bubble from bulk air can have a long lifetime (if it is viscous) even if it is not protected by a surfactant. These "bare" films display unusual dynamic behaviors in drainage and rupture. Two different model systems were studied: a polymer melt (silicone oil) and a molten (borosilicate) glass of comparable viscosity. Although the two systems differ greatly in their relaxation time, they are described by the same set of laws, which can be understood from a relatively simple hydrodynamic model.
More Related Videos
11:14A Microfluidic System with Surface Patterning for Investigating Cavitation Bubble(s)–Cell Interaction and the Resultant Bioeffects at the Single-cell Level
Published on: January 10, 2017
06:02Multi-timescale Microscopy Methods for the Characterization of Fluorescently-labeled Microbubbles for Ultrasound-Triggered Drug Release
Published on: June 12, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Excess Pressure Inside a Drop and a Bubble
Viscosity of Fluid
Viscosity
Viscosity
The SI unit of viscosity is...
Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube
Escape Velocities of Gases