Evolution of the fingering pattern of an impacting drop

S. T. Thoroddsen*, J. Sakakibara

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

202 Scopus citations

Abstract

The impact of a drop on a solid surface generates a rapidly expanding thin jet traveling along the surface. We study the evolution of the fingering pattern at the edge of this jet during the impact of a water drop on a glass plate. Multiple-flash photography shows that systematic changes in frontal shapes take place during the expansion. The initial fingers widen and split in two. This splitting is in many cases limited to the development of a double peak on each finger. The subsequent interaction of two such adjacent undulations often results in merging which produces three pronounced fingers. Despite the significant changes in the frontal shapes, the number of fundamental undulations remains approximately constant during the expansion. The progenitors of these azimuthal disturbances are observed right at first contact. Some heuristic arguments based on capillary waves are put forth to explain the splitting and merging. The main focus of this study is on impacts having Reynolds numbers of about 15000, based on the drop diameter. The corresponding Weber numbers are about 1000.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1359-1374
Number of pages16
JournalPhysics of Fluids
Volume10
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1998
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Computational Mechanics
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Evolution of the fingering pattern of an impacting drop'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this