Reversible Motion of a Contact Line

POSTER

Abstract

We study behavior of the liquid-solid-vapor contact line between two solid plates. A syringe pump injects water though one plate which is kept in a narrow gap between the plates, forming the contact line. The pump cyclically injects and withdraws a small, constant volume of water, changing the contact line shape. After each cycle, we take photos of the contact line from above. When we compare subsequent photos, we find that after many cycles the contact line reaches one of two steady states: a reversible steady state, where its shape stops changing, or a fluctuating steady state, where its shape continues to change slightly. Experiments on glass plates show a reversible steady state even at high volumes. However, experiments on acrylic show a fluctuating steady state at high volumes. We investigate the critical volume that marks the transition between low-volume reversible steady states and high-volume fluctuating steady states on acrylic.

Authors

  • Charity Lizardo

    Department of Physics, California Polytechnic State University

  • Antara Bhattacharya

    SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, 89557, USA, School of Mathematics and Physics, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia, University of California, Berkeley, National Institute for Materials Science, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Santa Clara University, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California San Diego, University of Nevada, Reno, Nihon University, Osaka U., LLNL, SLAC, U. of Nevada, Reno, California State University, Chico, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; UC, Irvine, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Physics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Oak Ridge National Lab, Department of Physics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6021, New Zealand, California Polytechnic State University, University of California, Santa Barbara, Department of Physics, California Polytechnic State University, Victoria University of Wellington, Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, CA, Navy Children School, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

  • Antara Bhattacharya

    SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, 89557, USA, School of Mathematics and Physics, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia, University of California, Berkeley, National Institute for Materials Science, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Santa Clara University, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California San Diego, University of Nevada, Reno, Nihon University, Osaka U., LLNL, SLAC, U. of Nevada, Reno, California State University, Chico, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; UC, Irvine, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Physics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Oak Ridge National Lab, Department of Physics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6021, New Zealand, California Polytechnic State University, University of California, Santa Barbara, Department of Physics, California Polytechnic State University, Victoria University of Wellington, Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, CA, Navy Children School, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

  • Antara Bhattacharya

    SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, 89557, USA, School of Mathematics and Physics, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia, University of California, Berkeley, National Institute for Materials Science, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Santa Clara University, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California San Diego, University of Nevada, Reno, Nihon University, Osaka U., LLNL, SLAC, U. of Nevada, Reno, California State University, Chico, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; UC, Irvine, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Physics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Oak Ridge National Lab, Department of Physics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6021, New Zealand, California Polytechnic State University, University of California, Santa Barbara, Department of Physics, California Polytechnic State University, Victoria University of Wellington, Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, CA, Navy Children School, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India