Journal article icon

Journal article

Symmetry-breaking in drop bouncing on curved surfaces

Abstract:
The impact of liquid drops on solid surfaces is ubiquitous in nature, and of practical importance in many industrial processes. A drop hitting a flat surface retains a circular symmetry throughout the impact process. Here we show that a drop impinging onEchevaria leaves exhibits asymmetric bouncing dynamics with distinct spreading and retraction along two perpendicular directions. This is a direct consequence of the cylindrical leaves that have a convex/concave architecture of size comparable to the drop. Systematic experimental investigations on mimetic surfaces and lattice Boltzmann simulations reveal that this novel phenomenon results from an asymmetric momentum and mass distribution that allows for preferential fluid pumping around the drop rim. The asymmetry of the bouncing leads to B40% reduction in contact time.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

Actions


Access Document


Publisher copy:
10.1038/ncomms10034

Authors


More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Physics
Sub department:
Theoretical Physics
Role:
Author
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Physics
Sub department:
Theoretical Physics
Role:
Author


Publisher:
Nature
Journal:
Nature Communications More from this journal
Volume:
6
Article number:
10034
Publication date:
2015-11-25
DOI:
EISSN:
2041-1723
ISSN:
2041-1723


Pubs id:
pubs:580327
UUID:
uuid:8a42b31a-3a9c-4bc4-b1fa-57d36735f905
Local pid:
pubs:580327
Source identifiers:
580327
Deposit date:
2015-12-22

Terms of use



Views and Downloads






If you are the owner of this record, you can report an update to it here: Report update to this record

TO TOP