Sliding, vibrating and swinging droplets on an oscillating fiber

We present an experimental study of the dynamics of water droplets on oscillating rigid fibers. As we vary the frequency and amplitude of the oscillations the droplet transitions between different modes: harmonic pumping, subharmonic pumping, a combination of rocking and pumping modes, and a combination of pumping and swinging modes. We characterize these responses and report how they affect the sliding speed of the droplet along the fiber. The swinging mode is rationalized through a minimal model making an analogy with a forced elastic pendulum.