title: Topological Symmetry Breaking in Viscous Coarsening.
abstract: The crucial role of hydrodynamic pinch-off instabilities is evidenced in the coarsening stage of viscous liquids. The phase separation of a barium borosilicate glass melt is studied by in situ synchrotron tomography at high temperature. The high viscosity contrast between the less viscous phase and the more viscous phase induces a topological symmetry breaking: capillary breakups occur preferentially in the less viscous phase. As a result, contrasting morphologies are obtained in the two phases. This symmetry breaking is illustrated on three different glass compositions, corresponding to different volume fractions of the two phases. In particular, a fragmentation phenomenon, reminiscent of the end-pinching mechanism proposed by Stone and co-workers is evidenced in the less viscous phase.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire PMMH, UMR 7636 CNRS/ESPCI Paris/Université Pierre et Marie Curie/Université Paris Diderot, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bouttes
authors.affiliation: Surface du Verre et Interfaces, UMR 125 CNRS/Saint-Gobain, 93303 Aubervilliers, France.
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gouillart
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire PMMH, UMR 7636 CNRS/ESPCI Paris/Université Pierre et Marie Curie/Université Paris Diderot, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vandembroucq