title: Waves and instability in a one-dimensional microfluidic array.
abstract: Motion in a one-dimensional (1-D) microfluidic array is simulated. Water droplets, dragged by flowing oil, are arranged in a single row. Due to their hydrodynamic interactions, the spacing between these droplets oscillates with a wave-like motion that is longitudinal or transverse. The simulation yields wave spectra that agree well with experiment. The wave-like motion has an instability which is confirmed to arise from nonlinearities in the interaction potential. The instability's growth is spatially localized. By selecting an appropriate correlation function, the interaction between the longitudinal and transverse waves is described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goree
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng