Experiments and modelling of contact line instabilities in thin liquid films

J. GOMBA, A. G. GONZÁLEZ, J. DIEZ, R. GRATTON, L. KONDIC

Dresden, Germany, Sep. 21-28

Workshop; International Workshop on Pattern Formation through Instabilities in Thin Liquid Films: From Fundamental Aspects to Applications; 2004

Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme

In this work we present experimental results of small silicone oil strips flowing down an incline.The influence of the initial condition on the spreading rate as well as on the contact line patternformation is analyzed. The proposed model allows to characterize the flow by a unique dimensionlessparameter R. In the stable stage, the position of the contact line is well described by a power lawdependence on time t with an exponent that depends on R . The dominant mode does not dependon its initial width, and only the cross sectional area A determines its wavelength.