On the breaking of long, axisymmetric liquid bridges between unequal supporting disks at minimum volume stability limit

Abstract

The stability of axisymmetric liquid bridges held between non-equal circular supporting disks, and subjected to an axial acceleration, has been analyzed both theoretically and experimentally. Some characteristics of the breaking process which takes place when the stability limit of minimum volume is reached (mainly the dependence with the disks separation of the volume of the liquid drops resulting after the liquid bridge breakage) have been theoretically studied by using standard asymptotic expansion techniques. From the analysis of the nature of the unstable equilibrium shapes of minimum volume at the stability limit it is concluded that the relative volume of the main drops resulting from the liquid bridge rupture drastically change as the disks separation grows. Theoretical predictions have been experimentally checked by working with very small size liquid bridges (supporting disks being some 1 millimeter in diameter), the agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental results being remarkable