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Title: Corners, Cusps, and Pearls in Running Drops

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters

Small drops sliding down a partially wetting substrate bifurcate between different shapes depending on their capillary number Ca . At low Ca , they are delimited by a rounded, smooth contact line. At intermediate values they develop a corner at the trailing edge, the angle of which evolves from flat to 60{sup o} with increasing velocity. Further up, they exhibit a cusped tail that emits smaller drops (''pearls''). These bifurcations may be qualitatively and quantitatively recovered by considering the dynamic contact angle along the contact line.

Sponsoring Organization:
(US)
OSTI ID:
40277115
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 87, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.036102; Othernumber: PRLTAO000087000003036102000001; 027129PRL; PBD: 16 Jul 2001; ISSN 0031-9007
Publisher:
The American Physical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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