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We investigate experimentally and theoretically the stability and collapse of holes in liquid layers on bounded substrates with various wettabilities. It is shown that for a liquid layer with a thickness of the order of the capillary length, a stable hole exists when the hole diameter is bigger than a critical value $d_{c}$. Consequently, a further increase of the liquid volume causes the hole to collapse. It is found that$d_{c}$increases with the size of the container, but its dependence on the contact angle is very weak. The experimental results are compared with theory, and good agreement is obtained. Moreover, we present investigations of the dynamics of the hole and the evolution of the liquid film profile after the collapse. The diameter of the hole during collapse and the minimum thickness of the liquid film shortly after the collapse obey different power laws with time. Simple theoretical models are developed which indicate that the collapse of the hole is triggered by surface tension and the subsequent closure process results from inertia, whereas the growth of the liquid column after hole closure results from the balance between the capillary force and inertia. Corresponding scaling coefficients are determined.

The free-surface flow formed by a circular jet impinging on a rotating disk is analysed theoretically. The study explores the effects of rotation and inertia on the thin-film flow. Both boundary-layer height and film thickness are found to diminish with rotation speed. A maximum film thickness develops in the supercritical region, which reflects the competition between the convective and centrifugal effects. Unlike the flow on a stationary disk, an increase in the wall shear stress along the radial direction is predicted, at a rate that strengthens with rotating speed. Our results corroborate well existing measurements. The location and height of the hydraulic jump are determined subject to the value of the thickness at the edge of the disk, which is established first for a stationary disk based on the capillary length, and then for a rotating disk using existing analyses and measurements in spin coating. The case of a stationary is revisited in an effort to predict the location and height of the jump uniquely. The formulated value of the height at the edge of the disk seems to give excellent results for a jet at moderately high flow rate (or low viscosity) where the jump structure is well identifiable in reality.

The steady, axisymmetric flow induced by a point sink (or source) submerged in an inviscid fluid of infinite depth is computed and the resulting deformation of the free surface is obtained. The effect of surface tension on the free surface is determined and is the new component of this work. The maximum Froude numbers at which steady solutions exist are computed. It is found that the determining factor in reaching the critical flow changes as more surface tension is included. If there is zero or a very small amount of surface tension, the limiting factor appears to be the formation of small wavelets on the free surface; but, as the surface tension increases, this is replaced by a tendency for the lowest point on the free surface to descend sharply as the Froude number is increased.

We consider a two-layer fluid of finite depth with a free surface and, in particular, the surface tension at the free surface and the interface. The usual assumptions of a linearized theory are considered. The objective of this work is to analyse the effect of surface tension on trapped modes, when a horizontal circular cylinder is submerged in either of the layers of a two-layer fluid. By setting up boundary value problems for both of the layers, we find the frequencies for which trapped waves exist. Then, we numerically analyse the effect of variation of surface tension parameters on the trapped modes, and conclude that realistic changes in surface tension do not have a significant effect on the frequencies of these. doi:10.1017/S1446181115000188

We study the classical Landau–Levich dip-coating problem for the case in which the interface possesses both elasticity and surface tension. The aim of the study is to develop a complete asymptotic theory of the elastocapillary Landau–Levich problem in the limit of small flow speeds. As such, the paper also extends our previous study on purely elastic Landau–Levich flow (Dixit & Homsy J. Fluid Mech., vol. 732, 2013, pp. 5–28) to include the effect of surface tension. The elasticity of the interface is described by the Helfrich model and surface tension is modelled in the usual way. We define an elastocapillary number, $\epsilon $, which represents the relative strength of elasticity to surface tension. Based on the size of $\epsilon $, we can define three different regimes of interest. In each of these regimes, we carry out asymptotic expansions in the small capillary (or elasticity) numbers, which represents the balance of viscous forces to surface tension (or elasticity).In the weak elasticity regime, the film thickness is a small correction to the classical Landau–Levich law and can be written as $$\begin{eqnarray*}{\tilde {h} }_{\infty , c} = (0. 9458- 0. 0839~\mathscr{E}){l}_{c} C{a}^{2/ 3} , \quad \epsilon \ll 1,\end{eqnarray*}$$ where ${l}_{c} $ is the capillary length, $Ca$ is the capillary number and $\mathscr{E}= \epsilon / C{a}^{2/ 3} $. In the elastocapillary regime, the film thickness is a function of $\epsilon $ through the power-law relationship $$\begin{eqnarray*}{\tilde {h} }_{\infty , ec} = {\bar {h} }_{\infty , e} L\hspace{0.167em} f(\epsilon )C{a}^{4/ 7} , \quad \epsilon \sim O(1),\end{eqnarray*}$$ where ${\bar {h} }_{\infty , e} $ is a numerical coefficient obtained in our previous study, $L$ is the elastocapillary length, and $f(\epsilon )$ represents the functional dependence of film thickness on the elastocapillary parameter.

We study the linear stability of the exact deep-water capillary wave solution of Crapper (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 2, 1957, pp. 532–540) subject to two-dimensional perturbations (both subharmonic and superharmonic). By linearizing a set of exact one-dimensional non-local evolution equations, a stability analysis is performed with the aid of Floquet theory. To validate our results, the exact evolution equations are integrated numerically in time and the numerical solutions are compared with the time evolution of linear normal modes. For superharmonic perturbations, contrary to Hogan (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 190, 1988, pp. 165–177), who detected two bubbles of instability for intermediate amplitudes, our results indicate that Crapper’s capillary waves are linearly stable to superharmonic disturbances for all wave amplitudes. For subharmonic perturbations, it is found that Crapper’s capillary waves are unstable, and our results generalize to the highly nonlinear regime the analysis for small amplitudes presented by Chen & Saffman (Stud. Appl. Maths, vol. 72, 1985, pp. 125–147).

This paper considers the dynamics of a thin film of viscous liquid of density ρ coating the underside of a horizontal rigid boundary under the action of surface tension σ and gravity g, and in the lubrication limit. Gravitational instability for inverse wavenumbers larger than the capillary length ℓ = (σ/ρg)1/2) leads to the formation of quasi-static pendent drops of radius ≈3.83ℓ. If the boundary conditions are such as to pin the positions of the drops then the drops slowly drain fluid from the regions between them through thin annular trenches around each drop. A similarity solution is derived and verified numerically in which the film thickness in the intervening regions scales like t−1/4 and that in the trenches like t−1/2. A single drop placed far from boundaries on an otherwise uniform film, and given an initial perturbation, undergoes self-induced quasi-steady translation during which it grows slowly in amplitude by leaving a wake where the film thickness is reduced by an average of 90. It is driven by release of gravitational potential energy as fluid is collected from the film into the lower lying drop. Analysis of Landau–Levich regions around the perimeter of the translating drop predicts its speed and the profile of the wake. Two translating drops may coalesce if they collide, in contrast with the non-coalescence of colliding collars in the analogous one-dimensional problem (Lister et al., J. Fluid Mech. vol. 552, 2006b, p. 311). Colliding drops may also bounce off each other, the outcome depending on the angle of incidence through complex interactions between their surrounding capillary wave fields.

The electrical streaming potential generated by a two-phase pressure-driven Stokes flow in a cylindrical capillary is computed numerically. The potential difference ΔΦ between the two ends of the capillary, proportional to the pressure difference Δp for single-phase flow, is modified by the presence of a suspended drop on the centreline of the capillary. We determine the change in ΔΦ caused by the presence of an uncharged insulating neutrally buoyant drop at a small electric Hartmann number, i.e. when the perturbation to the flow field caused by electric stresses is negligible.The drop velocity and deformation, and the consequent changes in the pressure difference Δp and streaming potential ΔΦ, depend upon three independent parameters: the size a of the undeformed drop relative to the radius R of the capillary; the viscosity ratio λ between the drop phase and the continuous phase; and the capillary number Ca which measures the ratio of viscous to capillary forces. We investigate how the streaming potential depends on these parameters: purely hydrodynamic aspects of the problem are discussed by Lac & Sherwood (J. Fluid Mech., doi:10.1017/S0022112009991212).The potential on the capillary wall is assumed sufficiently small so that the electrical double layer is described by the linearized Poisson–Boltzmann equation. The Debye length characterizing the thickness of the charge cloud is taken to be small compared with all other length scales, including the width of the gap between the drop and the capillary wall. The electric potential satisfies Laplace's equation, which we solve by means of a boundary integral method. The presence of the drop increases |ΔΦ| when the drop is more viscous than the surrounding fluid (λ > 1), though the change in |ΔΦ| can take either sign for λ < 1. However, the difference between ΔΦ and Δp (suitably non-dimensionalized) is always positive. Asymptotic predictions for the streaming potential in the case of a vanishingly small spherical droplet, and for large drops at high capillary numbers, agree well with computations.

The deformation of a drop as it flows along the axis of a circular capillary in low Reynolds number pressure-driven flow is investigated numerically by means of boundary integral computations. If gravity effects are negligible, the drop motion is determined by three independent parameters: the size a of the undeformed drop relative to the radius R of the capillary, the viscosity ratio λ between the drop phase and the wetting phase and the capillary number Ca, which measures the relative importance of viscous and capillary forces. We investigate the drop behaviour in the parameter space (a/R, λ, Ca), at capillary numbers higher than those considered previously. If the fluid flow rate is maintained, the presence of the drop causes a change in the pressure difference between the ends of the capillary, and this too is investigated. Estimates for the drop deformation at high capillary number are based on a simple model for annular flow and, in most cases, agree well with full numerical results if λ ≥ 1/2, in which case the drop elongation increases without limit as Ca increases. If λ < 1/2, the drop elongates towards a limiting non-zero cylindrical radius. Low-viscosity drops (λ < 1) break up owing to a re-entrant jet at the rear, whereas a travelling capillary wave instability eventually develops on more viscous drops (λ > 1). A companion paper (Lac & Sherwood, J. Fluid Mech., doi:10.1017/S002211200999156X) uses these results in order to predict the change in electrical streaming potential caused by the presence of the drop when the capillary wall is charged.

We present the results of a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of the normal impact of hydrophobic spheres on a water surface. Particular attention is given to characterizing the shape of the resulting air cavity in the low Bond number limit, where cavity collapse is driven principally by surface tension rather than gravity. A parameter study reveals the dependence of the cavity structure on the governing dimensionless groups. A theoretical description based on the solution to the Rayleigh–Besant problem is developed to describe the evolution of the cavity shape and yields an analytical solution for the pinch-off time in the zero Bond number limit. The sphere's depth at cavity pinch-off is also computed in the low Weber number, quasi-static limit. Theoretical predictions compare favourably with our experimental observations in the low Bond number regime, and also yield new insight into the high Bond number regime considered by previous investigators. Discrepancies are rationalized in terms of the assumed form of the velocity field and neglect of the longitudinal component of curvature, which together preclude an accurate description of the cavity for depths less than the capillary length. Finally, we present a theoretical model for the evolution of the splash curtain formed at high Weber number and couple it with the underlying cavity dynamics.

We prove short-time well-posedness of a Hele–Shaw system with two fluids and no surface tension (this is also known as the Muskat problem). We restrict our attention here to the stable case of the problem. That is, in order for the motion to be well-posed, the initial data must satisfy a sign condition which is a generalization of a condition of Saffman and Taylor. This sign condition essentially means that the more viscous fluid must displace the less viscous fluid. The proof uses the formulation introduced in the numerical work of Hou, Lowengrub, and Shelley, and relies on energy methods.

Capillary-zone electrophoresis (CZE) is an efficient separation method in analytical chemistry. It exploits the difference in electrophoretic migration speeds between charged molecular species in aqueous solution when an external electric field is applied to achieve separation. In most cases the electrophoretic migration of species is also accompanied by a bulk electro-osmotic flow in the capillary due to the presence of a zeta-potential at the capillary wall. Adsorption of charged species at the wall could modify this zeta-potential in a non-uniform manner. This induces axial pressure gradients, so that the flow is no longer uniform over the capillary cross-section. The resulting shear-induced dispersion of the sample is a serious cause of band broadening in CZE particularly for species such as proteins and peptides which adsorb strongly on capillary walls. The problem of the spatio-temporal evolution of the sample concentration is studied in the presence of such wall interactions. An asymptotic theory is developed that is valid provided axial variations have characteristic length scales that are much larger than the capillary radius and temporal variations have a characteristic time scale much larger than the characteristic diffusion time over a capillary radius. These conditions are normally satisfied in CZE, except when the sample is close to the inlet, on account of the capillary length being very much larger than its radius. It is shown that the cross-sectionally averaged sample concentration obeys a one-dimensional partial differential equation. Further, the full three-dimensional concentration field may be calculated once the cross-sectionally averaged concentration field is known. The reduced system is integrated numerically and is shown to lead to predictions consistent with known observations on CZE in the presence of wall interactions.

Rayleigh instability on an axisymmetric viscous film around a vertical fibre produces localized wave structures (pulses) on a flat substrate film that can grow by an order of magnitude to form large capillary drops. We show that this drop formation process is driven by a unique mechanism in the form of an ever-growing pulse which leaves behind a trailing film thinner than the one it advances into. In addition to accumulating liquid from the film, the growing pulse also captures smaller and slower pulses in coalescence cascades. We construct this supercritical growing pulse by matched asymptotics and show that it will eventually evolve into a capillary drop if the local film thickness h is larger than hc=1.68R3H−2 where R is the fibre radius and H the capillary length. We also show that subcritical pulses with h

Using photographic imaging and dye tracking experiments, we scrutinize the dynamics of a contact line when a finite volume of partially wetting fluid is driven by gravity to spread over a slightly inclined dry plane. Unlike spreading mechanisms driven by molecular forces, gravity-driven spreading over a dry plane is shown to possess a characteristic interfacial ‘nose’ that overhangs the contact line when the film thickness is in excess of the capillary length. A unique recirculating vortex exists within the nose front which spreads at speeds corresponding to capillary numbers in excess of 10−2. Our experiments show that fingering from a gravity-driven straight front occurs when the above nose configuration cannot be sustained across the entire front as the film thins and the apparent contact angle θ reaches π/2. The fingers retain the nose configuration while the remaining segments of the front evolve into a wedge configuration and stop abruptly due to their large resistance to fluid flow. This fingering mechanism is insensitive to fluid wettability, noise or surface heterogeneity. Via matched asymptotics, we obtain accurate estimates of fingering position and speed at θ=π/2 that are in good agreement with measured values. This new mechanism is distinct from other instability and sensitivity fingering mechanisms and can be in play whenever θ of the straight front approaches π/2 from above as the film thins.

The shape of liquid surfaces in regular N -pods in the absence of gravity is considered. A liquid volume in the vertex of a regular N -pod wets the adjacent faces if the sum of the liquid's contact angle γ with the faces and half the dihedral angle α between adjacent faces is smaller than π/2. A suggestion for why the surface shape in the wedge approaches its cylindrical shape at infinity exponentially is given. The range of this exponential decrease is related to the curvature of the meniscus and the angles α and γ: The decrement of the decrease generally shows a weak dependence on α+γ, predominantly depending on the liquid volume. Extremely close to the wetting limit, when α+γ approaches π/2, the decrement vanishes. The exponential meniscus shape leads to a similarity relation and allows small relative liquid volumes in polyhedrons to be split up into partial volumes ascribed to the corners and others ascribed to the wedges. The respective relations among volume, curvature, contact angle and corner geometry are obtained by numerical simulation and the limits of applicability are discussed. This greatly simplifies the calculation of liquid surfaces in the limit of small liquid volumes. The results obtained apply to liquid surfaces in a Space environment, e.g. to metallic melts in crucibles and to propellants and other technical fluids in tanks and reservoirs, as well as to liquid surfaces on Earth, e.g. to liquids trapped in polyhedral pores and to liquid foams, provided their characteristic length is sufficiently small compared to the capillary length.

Drops fall off a viscous pendent rivulet on the underside of a plane when the inclination angle θ, measured with respect to the horizontal, is below a critical value θc. We estimate this θc by studying the existence of finite-amplitude drop solutions to a long-wave lubrication equation. Through a partial matched asymptotic analysis, we establish that fall-off occurs by two distinct mechanisms. For θ>ϕ, where ϕ is the static contact angle, a jet mechanism results when a mean-flow steepening effect cannot provide sufficient axial curvature to counter gravity. This fall-off mechanism occurs if the rivulet width B, which is normalized with respect to the capillary length H=(σ/ρg cosθ)1/2, exceeds a critical value defined by β=−cosB>1/4. For θ1/6>tanθ/tanϕ. Both criteria are in good agreement with our experimental data.

We investigate the levitation of a drop gently deposited onto the inner wall of a rotating hollow cylinder. For a sufficient velocity of the wall, the drop steadily levitates over a thin air film and reaches a stable angular position in the cylinder, where the drag and lift balance the weight of the drop. Interferometric measurement yields the three-dimensional (3D) air film thickness under the drop and reveals the asymmetry of the profile along the direction of the wall motion. A two-dimensional (2D) model is presented which explains the levitation mechanism, captures the main characteristics of the air film shape and predicts two asymptotic regimes for the film thickness $h_0$: For large drops $h_0\sim\ca^{2/3}\kappa_b^{-1}$, as in the Bretherton problem, where $\ca$ is the capillary number based on the air viscosity and $\kappa_b$ is the curvature at the bottom of the drop. For small drops $h_0\sim\ca^{4/5}(a\kappa_b)^{4/5}\kappa_b^{-1}$, where $a$ is the capillary length., Comment: submitted to JFM Rapids

This paper reports an experimental study of the effects of an externally applied electric field on the dynamics of drop formation in the dripping mode from a vertical metal capillary. The fluid issuing out of the capillary is a viscous liquid, the surrounding ambient fluid is air, and the electric field is generated by establishing a potential difference between the capillary and a horizontal, circular electrode of large radius placed downstream of the capillary outlet. By means of an ultra-high-speed video system that is capable of recording up to 12000 frames per second, special attention is paid to the dynamics of the liquid thread that connects the primary drop that is about to detach and fall from the capillary to the rest of the conical liquid mass that is hanging from it. The experiments show that as the strength of the electric field increases, the volume of the primary drop decreases whereas the maximum length attained by the thread increases. The reduction in the volume of primary drops and the increase in the length of threads occur because the effective electromechanical surface tension of the fluid interface falls as the field strength rises. For the highly conducting drops of aqueous NaCl solutions studied in this work, the increase in thread length is due solely to the rising importance of normal electric stress relative to the falling importance of surface tension. However, as the conductivity of the drop liquid decreases, the thread length is further increased on account of the stabilizing influence exerted by the increasing electric shear stress that acts on the charged liquid–gas interface. Two new phenomena are also reported that have profound implications for electrohydrodynamics and practical applications. First, it is shown that whereas the liquid thread always ruptures at its downstream end in the absence of an applied electric field or when the field strength is low, it ruptures at its upstream end when the field strength is sufficiently high. Since satellite drops are produced directly from the thread once both of its ends have ruptured, the change in the mechanism of breakup with field strength influences the dynamics and fate of satellite drops. Second, it is demonstrated that the generation of satellites, which are often undesirable in applications, can be suppressed by the judicious application of an electric field. This is accomplished by using a field of moderate strength to induce charges of the opposite sign on the nearby surfaces of the satellite drop and the liquid that remains pendant from the tube following thread rupture. At high field strengths, induced charge effects are too weak to compete with net charge effects: the satellite is repelled by the pendant drop and falls under gravity as a distinct entity.

When the coating film around a vertical fibre exceeds a critical thickness hc, the interfacial disturbances triggered by Rayleigh instability can undergo accelerated growth such that localized drops much larger in dimension than the film thickness appear. We associate the initial period of this strongly nonlinear drop formation phenomenon with a self-similar intermediate asymptotic blow-up solution to the long-wave evolution equation which describes how static capillary forces drain fluid into the drop. Below hc, we show that strongly nonlinear coupling between the mean flow and axial curvature produces a finite-amplitude solitary wave solution which prevents local finite-time blow up and hence disallows further growth into drops. We thus estimate hc by determining the existence of solitary wave solutions. This is accomplished by a matched asymptotic analysis which joins the capillary outer region of a large solitary wave to the thin-film inner region. Our estimate of hc = 1.68R3H–2, where R is the fibre radius and H is the capillary length H = (σ/ρg)½, is favourably compared to experimental data.

Over the past decade and a half, analyses of the dynamics of fluids containing moving contact lines have specified hydrodynamic models of the fluids in a rather small region surrounding the contact lines (referred to as the inner region) which necessarily differ from the usual model. If this were not done, a singularity would have arisen, making it impossible to satisfy the contact-angle boundary condition, a condition that can be important for determining the shape of the fluid interface of the entire body of fluid (the outer region). Unfortunately, the nature of the fluids within the inner region under dynamic conditions has not received appreciable experimental attention. Consequently, the validity of these novel models has yet to be tested.The objective of this experimental investigation is to determine the validity of the expression appearing in the literature for the slope of the fluid interface in the region of overlap between the inner and outer regions, for small capillary number. This in part involves the experimental determination of a constant traditionally evaluated by matching the solutions in the inner and outer regions. Establishing the correctness of this expression would justify its use as a boundary condition for the shape of the fluid interface in the outer region, thus eliminating the need to analyse the dynamics of the fluid in the inner region.Our experiments consisted of immersing a glass tube, tilted at an angle to the horizontal, at a constant speed, into a bath of silicone oil. The slope of the air–silicone oil interface was measured at distances from the contact line ranging between O.O13a. and O.17a, where a denotes the capillary length, the lengthscale of the outer region (1511 μm). Experiments were performed at speeds corresponding to capillary numbers ranging between 2.8 × 10-4 and 8.3 × 10-3. Good agreement is achieved between theory and experiment, with a systematic deviation appearing only at the highest speed. The latter may be a consequence of the inadequacy of the theory at that value of the capillary number.

We study the capillary instability of a liquid film (thickness $h_0$) coating a horizontal cylindrical tube (radius $R_0$). We show experimentally that the instability only occurs if $h_0/R_0>0.3(R_0/a)^2$, where $a$ is the capillary length. If this criterion is not fulfilled, the liquid film does not destabilize into an array of drops, owing to the gravitational drainage.

The linear, inviscid reflection of a straight-crested surface wave from a vertical wall is determined on the hypothesis that the contact angle of the meniscus vanishes. The reflection coefficient is a function of the parameter γ ≡ k0l, where k0 is the wavenumber of the incident wave and l is the capillary length, and is approximated by R = exp (−4iγ2) for a gravity–capillary wave for which γ [Lt ] 1. The solution of this reflection problem is used to obtain matched-asymptotic approximations for standing waves in channels and circular cylinders. The meniscus-induced, fractional reduction of the frequency of the dominant mode in a deep circular cylinder is 0.77 γ2 (which exceeds the increase of ½γ2 associated with the capillary energy of the free surface). This decrement is within 2 mHz of the value inferred from the measurements of Cocciaro et al. (1991) after allowing for the reduction in frequency induced by the viscous boundary layers at the walls, but there are residual uncertainties (in this comparison) associated with the wetting process at the moving contact line and possible surface contamination.

The linearized initial-value problem for the generation of straight-crested waves in a deep, inviscid liquid in response to the prescribed motion of a piston wavemaker of finite depth is solved through integral transforms. The indicial admittance (the surface-wave response to a step-function velocity of the wavemaker) is cast in similarity form and expressed in terms of confluent hypergeometric functions for pure (no surface tension) gravity waves. This gravity-wave result, due essentially to Roberts (1987), provides an outer approximation for x [Gt ] l and gt 2 [Gt ] l ( x = horizontal distance from wavemaker and l = capillary length) but implies an infinite wave slope at the contact line ( x = 0) in consequence of the neglect of surface tension. The corresponding similarity solution for capillary waves (no gravity) with either fixed contact angle or fixed contact line is constructed and is found to be analytic in x for t > 0 if the contact angle is fixed or singular like x 4 log x if the contact line is fixed. An inner approximation for gravity waves with either fixed contact angle or fixed contact line is constructed for x = O ( l ) and gt 2 [Gt ] l . The Laplace transform of the general solution is expressed in terms of confluent hypergeometric functions, which permits a compact discussion of its analytical properties.

The linear, free-surface oscillations of an inviscid fluid in a cylindrical basin subject to the contact-line condition en ∇ζ = ζt (ζ is the free-surface displacement and c is a complex constant) are determined through a boundary-layer approximation for l/a [Lt ] 1, where a is a characteristic length of the cross-section and l is the capillary length. The primary result is ω2 = ω2n [1 + (l/a) [Fscr ] (ζn; c/ωnl)] where ω is the frequency of a free oscillation, ωn is the natural frequency for a particular normal mode, ζ = ζn in the limit l/a → 0, and l/a→0, and [Fscr ](ζn;c/ωn l)] is a corresponding form factor. The imaginary part of [Fscr ] is positive (for the complex time dependence exp (iωt) if Re (c) > 0, which implies positive dissipation through contact-line motion. Explicit results are derived for circular and rectangular cylinders and compared with Graham-Eagle's (1983) results for the circular cylinder for c = 0 and Hocking's (1987) results for the two-dimensional problem. The exact eigenvalue equation for the circular cylinder and a variational approximation for an arbitrary cross-section are derived on the assumption that the static meniscus is negligible.

In this paper wave-maker theory including the effect of surface tension is determined for three-dimensional motion of water in a semi-infinite rectangular channel with outgoing surface wave modes allowed for at infinity; the motion is generated by a harmonically oscillating vertical plane wave-maker at the end of the channel and the cases of both infinite and finite constant depth are treated. The solution of the boundary-value problem for the velocity potential is more complicated in the presence of surface tension due mainly to the additional effect of the channel walls at which the normal free surface slopes are prescribed—as also is the slope at the wave-maker—to ensure uniqueness. The simpler three-dimensional solution for a semi-infinite region—obtained long ago by Sir Thomas Havelock in the absence of surface tension for the case of infinite depth—is also noted.

In the absence of surface tension, the problem of determining a travelling surface pressure distribution that displaces a portion of the free surface in a prescribed manner has been solved by several authors, and this “planing-surface” problem is reasonably well understood. The effect of inclusion of surface tension is to change, in a dramatic way, the singularity in the integral equation that describes the problem. It is now necessary in general to allow for isolated impulsive pressure, as well as a smooth distribution over the wetted length. Such pressure points generate jump discontinuities in free-surface slope. Numerical results are obtained here for a class of problems in which there is a single impulse located at the leading edge of the planing surface and detachment with continuous slope at the trailing edge. These results do not appear to approach the classical results in the limit as the surface tension approaches zero, a paradox that is resolved in Part II, which follows.

The three-dimensional steady flow of a shallow viscous liquid with non-uniform surface tension has been considered when the variation in surface tension results from the presence of an insoluble chemical contaminant on the surface. Similarly solutions for the particular problem of a channel flowing into a semi-infinite lake have been obtained, the depth and surface concentration at infinity being specified.

1. Introduction. Little has been written on the effects of surface tension (or cohesion) on waves in liquid media; this is not surprising as in general its effects are small compared with those of gravity or compressibility, except in the case of ripple motion (Lamb (3), sections 265, 267). Bondi (1) has investigated the problem of a compressible fluid half space; he found that under cohesive action ‘faster-than-sound’ propagation along the surface is possible, and he studied it with the aid of an elegant image-function-space method; but he carefully points out the small size of the parameters involved.

The effect of surface tension on the stability of two superposed fluids can be described in a universal way by a non-dimensional ‘surface tension number’ S which provides a measure of the relative importance of surface tension and viscosity. When both fluids extend to infinity, the problem can be reduced to the finding of the roots of a quartic equation. The character of these roots is first analysed so as to obtain all possible modes of stability or instability. Two illustrative cases are then considered in further detail: an unstable case for which the density of the lower fluid is zero and a stable case for which the density of the upper fluid is zero, the latter case corresponding to gravity waves. Finally, the variational principle derived by Chandrasekhar for problems of this type is critically discussed and it is shown to be of less usefulness than had been thought, especially in those cases where periodic modes exist.

Oscillatory convective instability is shown to occur in a rotating fluid layer when convection is caused by surface-tension gradients at a free surface. The asymptotic equations, valid when the Taylor number approaches infinity, are solved analytically, and the critical Marangoni number is evaluated numerically. Fluids with Prandtl numbers above 0·201 will exhibit only stationary instability. Fluids with smaller Prandtl numbers will exhibit oscillatory instability with the critical Marangoni number varying as M0T½ where M0 depends on the Prandtl number and T is the Taylor number.

The energy theory, giving a sufficient condition for stability, is developed for the motions in a horizontal, heated layer subject to buoyancy and surface tension effects. The free surface is assumed to be non-deformable (Pearson's 1958 model).It is shown that the equations governing the energy theory are the symmetric part of the time-independent linear theory problem, and that the surface tension terms behave like a bounded perturbation to the Bénard problem. The qualitative behaviour of the optimal stability boundary as a function of its parameters is given. The optimal stability boundary is computed, and compared with previous linear and non-linear stability theories in terms of allowable subcritical instabilities.

A non-linear analysis of cellular convection driven by surface tension in a semi-infinite liquid layer heated from below has been made. The purpose is to determine whether or not one can predict the emergence of the hexagonal flow pattern from the interaction of a certain large class of important disturbances. The principal conclusion is that, compared with gravity driven convection, there is generally a much greater band of imposed temperature difference associated with hexagonal convective patterns. Partial results for the more realistic assumption of finite depth support this conclusion.

The present work is an analytical study of the stability of interfaces between fluids in motion, special attention being given to the role of surface tension without consideration of viscous effects. A variational approach based upon the principle of minimum free energy, which was first formulated for stagnant fluids, is applied to fluids in motion. This generalization is possible if viscous and inertia effects are unimportant as far as stability is concerned. One stability problem is studied in detail: a gas jet impinging on a free liquid. The analytical results obtained by this variational technique lie within the range of accuracy (15%) of the experimental results for this gas-jet problem. The method is very general and therefore can be applied to quite a number of interface stability problems.

The onset of steady, cellular convection driven by surface tension gradients on a thin layer of liquid is examined in an extension of Pearson's (1958) stability analysis. By accounting for the possibility of shape deformations of the free surface it is found that there is no critical Marangoni number for the onset of stationary instability and that the limiting case of ‘zero wave-number’ is always unstable. Surface viscosity of a Newtonian interface is found to inhibit stationary instability. A simple criterion is found for distinguishing visually the dominant force, buoyancy or surface tension, in cellular convection in liquid pools.

Subcritically stable motion of long gravity waves of finite amplitude in a liquid layer flowing down an inclined plane is shown to be impossible. However, super-critically stable wave régimes for such flows are found and curves of constant wave amplitude in such régimes are obtained. The mechanism of non-linear stability is investigated by considering the energy transfer between the mean flow and the disturbances. The results obtained show that the mechanism of stability in a parallel flow with a free surface is quite different from that in a parallel flow without a free surface.

1. The attraction between spheres, due to surface tension forces, in a lenticular drop between them is calculated for spheres in contact and at increasing separations up to the point of rupture of the drop. Hence the work of separation of the spheres is calculated.2. Experimental measurements confirm the validity of these calculations, down to very small drop sizes, where it is likely that the failure is in the experimental method. As predicted by Fisher, the force decreases with increasing drop size, while the work of separation increases. Since, however, it is shown that the smaller lenticels are more easily ruptured, no discrimination is provided between the differing explanations of Haines and Fisher of measurements made with the Atterberg apparatus for measurement of soil cohesion.An experimental verification of the validity of Fisher's calculation of the pressure deficiency inside the drop is also given.3. It is pointed out that these results depend on the geometry of the system; types of contact other than that of spheres will show different behaviour. Hence generalizations about the behaviour of a real soil, based on an idealized soil of packed spheres, may lead to erroneous conclusions.

A fluid-mechanical approach for the cleavage of biological cells is presented. The equations of motion were combined with concentration and orientation distribution balances, for active contractile filaments on the cell surface, to provide a dynamic evolution of interfacial forces and deformation. The resulting flow and the simultaneously developing surface-tension anisotropy provided a mechanism that facilitates the generation of a contractile ring at the cell equator: a major organelle in the establishment of cell furrow and the ultimate cleavage. The moving-boundary problem was solved numerically using boundary-integral representation for the Stokes equations which was modified to incorporate the anisotropic interfacial tensions.

The shape of a vertical slender jet of fluid falling steadily under the force of gravity is studied. The problem is formulated as a nonlinear free boundary-value problem for the potential. Surface-tension effects are included and studied. The use of perturbation expansions results in a system of equations that can be solved by an efficient numerical procedure. Computations were made for jets issuing from three different orifice shapes, which were an ellipse, a square, and an equilateral triangle. Computational results are presented illustrating the effects of different values for the surfacetension coefficient on the shape of the jet and the periodic nature of the cross-sectional shapes.

The Stokes force on a fluid droplet is obtained when the droplet is placed in an unbounded fluid medium and motion ensues due to an arbitrary interfacial-tension gradient on the droplet surface. The force, derived here for a spherical droplet, is proportional to the integral of the interfacial-tension gradient over the droplet surface. When the interfacial-tension gradients are caused by temperature or concentration variations, the result for the force may be further specialized when convective transport effects are negligible. In this case, it is possible to express the force in terms of the gradient of the undisturbed temperature (or concentration) field evaluated at the location of the droplet center in a form analogous to Faxen's force law.

A previous study by Forbes & Schwartz (1982) on flow under gravity of a fluid over a submerged semicircular disturbance is generalized to include the effects of surface tension. A linearized theory is presented, in which the existence of three different branches of solution is predicted. The solution of the fully nonlinear problem by a boundary-integral technique supports this prediction. The wave resistance experienced by the obstacle is computed for the linearized and nonlinear theories.