2019/09/26 by Cunjing Lv, Lv, Cunjing, Steffen Hardt +1
Engineering · Materials Science · #FOS: Physical sciences #Fluid Dynamics (physics.flu-dyn) #Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer #Fluid Dynamics and Thin Films #Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) #Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1909.12008
openalex publication_date 2019/09/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
In this paper, we systematically investigate the wetting behavior of a liquid ring in a cylindrical capillary tube. We obtain analytical solutions of the axisymmetric Young-Laplace equation for arbitrary contact angles. We find that, for specific values of the contact angle and the volume of the liquid ring, two solutions of the Young-Laplace equation exist, but only the one with the lower value of the total interfacial energy corresponds to a stable configuration. The transition to an unstable configuration is characterized by specific critical parameters such as the liquid volume, throat diameter etc. Beyond the stable regime, the liquid ring transforms into a plug. Based on numerical simulations, we also discuss the transition of an axisymmetric ring into non-axisymmetric configurations. Such a transition can be induced by the Rayleigh-Plateau instability of a slender liquid ring. The results are presented in terms of a map showing the different liquid morphologies as a function of the parameters governing the problem.