Physics – Fluid Dynamics
Scientific paper
2007-05-24
J. Fluid Mech. (2007), vol. 579, pp. 63-83
Physics
Fluid Dynamics
21 pages, 9 figures
Scientific paper
10.1017/S0022112007005216
The relaxation of a dewetting contact line is investigated theoretically in the so-called "Landau-Levich" geometry in which a vertical solid plate is withdrawn from a bath of partially wetting liquid. The study is performed in the framework of lubrication theory, in which the hydrodynamics is resolved at all length scales (from molecular to macroscopic). We investigate the bifurcation diagram for unperturbed contact lines, which turns out to be more complex than expected from simplified 'quasi-static' theories based upon an apparent contact angle. Linear stability analysis reveals that below the critical capillary number of entrainment, Ca_c, the contact line is linearly stable at all wavenumbers. Away from the critical point the dispersion relation has an asymptotic behaviour sigma~|q| and compares well to a quasi-static approach. Approaching Ca_c, however, a different mechanism takes over and the dispersion evolves from |q| to the more common q^2. These findings imply that contact lines can not be treated as universal objects governed by some effective law for the macroscopic contact angle, but viscous effects have to be treated explicitly.
Andreotti Bruno
Delon G.
Fermigier Marc
Snoeijer Jacco H.
No associations
LandOfFree
Relaxation of a dewetting contact line Part 1: A full-scale hydrodynamic calculation does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Relaxation of a dewetting contact line Part 1: A full-scale hydrodynamic calculation, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Relaxation of a dewetting contact line Part 1: A full-scale hydrodynamic calculation will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-606288