Drops, threads, and bubbles
Jens Eggers
University of Bristol
Abstract:
When a drop falls from a tap, the size of the fluid neck goes to zero, producing very small length scales. Similar topological transitions play a crucial role for phenomena as diverse as spraying, printing, mixing, or polymer processing.
The fluid motion close to the transition is self-similar, and is typically universal: it does not depend on initial conditions.
However, many physical phenomena are understood only if one goes beyond this description and considers the transition from one type of asymptotic behaviour to another. In other cases, the approach to the asymptotic state is extremely slow, and all the interest lies in the transitory dynamics. We will use this insight to explain the breakup of fluid drops, the stretching of polymeric filaments, and the pinching of bubbles.