Spreading of a micrometric fluid strip down a plane under controlled initial conditions

J. M. GOMBA; J. DIEZ; A. G. GONZÁLEZ; R. GRATTON

PHYSICAL REVIEW E - STATISTICAL PHYSICS, PLASMAS, FLUIDS AND RELATED INTERDISCIPLINARY TOPICS

American Physical Society

Lugar: Nueva York, EE.UU.; Año: 2005 vol. 71 p. 1630401 - 1630404

1063-651X

We experimentally study the spreading of a small volume of silicon oil down a vertical plane with small Bond number. The initial condition is characterized by a horizontal long fluid strip with cross sectional area A and width w_0. We find that the experiments are characterized by a unique nondimensional parameter, R~w_0^4 / (a^2A), where a is the capillary length. An empirical criterium to estimate the onset of the contact line instability is established. The later rivulet formation at the contact line leads to a pattern which is characterized by a dominant wavelength. We find that this wavelength is approximately proportional to R^(−1/4).