Thin films flowing down inverted substrates: Three-dimensional flow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-3-2012

Abstract

We study contact line induced instabilities for a thin film of fluid under destabilizing gravitational force in three-dimensional setting. In the previous work [T.-S. Lin and L. Kondic, Phys. Fluids22, 052105 (2010)], we considered two-dimensional flow, finding formation of surface waves whose properties within the implemented long-wave model depend on a single parameter,D = (3Ca)1/3 cot α, where Ca is the capillary number and α is the inclination angle. In the present work we consider fully 3D setting and discuss the influence of the additional dimension on stability properties of the flow. In particular, we concentrate on the coupling between the surface instabilities and the transverse (fingering) instabilities of the film front. We furthermore consider these instabilities in the setting where fluid viscosity varies in the transverse direction. It is found that the flow pattern strongly depends on the inclination angle and the viscosity gradient. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

Identifier

84857763330 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Physics of Fluids

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3682001

ISSN

10706631

Issue

2

Volume

24

Grant

DMS-0908158

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS