2025/06/11 by S. Dorbolo, Stéphane Dorbolo, Floriane Weyer +8 · 1 voice
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Electrohydrodynamics and Fluid Dynamics #FOS: Physical sciences #Fluid Dynamics (physics.flu-dyn) #physics.flu-dyn
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2506.09797
openalex created_date 2021/07/19 · openalex publication_date 2025/06/11 · arxiv published 2025/06/11 · arxiv updated 2025/07/07 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
The motion of a water droplet on a single vertical sugar fiber is analyzed. The fiber is positioned vertically, with the droplet placed at its pending end. If the capillary force exceeds the weight of the droplet, the droplet remains suspended at the fiber's extremity. As water dissolves, the fiber eventually breaks. Subsequently, the droplet may fall down carrying a portion of the undissolved fiber or, more interestingly, the droplet may be propelled upwards, remaining attached to the fiber. The process can then restart. A phase diagram is constructed based on the droplet's volume and the fiber's diameter. A model has been built to assess the critical droplet volume for a given fiber diameter, above which the droplet falls. Below this volume, the droplet can move upwards along the fiber.