title: Self-similar breakup of near-inviscid liquids.
abstract: The final stages of pinchoff and breakup of dripping droplets of near-inviscid Newtonian fluids are studied experimentally for pure water and ethanol. High-speed imaging and image analysis are used to determine the angle and the minimum neck size of the cone-shaped extrema of the ligaments attached to dripping droplets in the final microseconds before pinchoff. The angle is shown to steadily approach the value of 18.0 ± 0.4°, independently of the initial flow conditions or the type of breakup. The filament thins and necks following a τ(2/3) law in terms of the time remaining until pinchoff, regardless of the initial conditions. The observed behavior confirms theoretical predictions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Castrejón-Pita
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Castrejón-Pita
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Hinch
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lister
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Hutchings
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D012212:Rheology / Q000379:methods*; D014783:Viscosity; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D000431:Ethanol