TY - JOUR
T1 - Nonlinear parametrically excited surface waves in surfactant-covered thin liquid films
AU - Matar, O. K.
AU - Kumar, S.
AU - Craster, R. V.
PY - 2004/12/10
Y1 - 2004/12/10
N2 - The effect of gravity modulation on the nonlinear evolution of long-wavelength disturbances at the free surface of a surfactant-covered thin liquid layer is studied. The surfactants, which are assumed to be insoluble, give rise to interfacial concentration gradients and associated Marangoni flow in the underlying liquid film. A coupled system of lubrication-theory-based evolution equations for the film height and surfactant concentration is solved numerically using spectral methods. Previous work using Floquet theory had determined that small-amplitude long-wavelength disturbances are destabilized by gravity modulation in the presence of surfactant; uncontaminated films were found to be linearly stable. Our numerical results indicate that uncontaminated free surfaces are destabilized by nonlinearities and exhibit a harmonic response. The interface exhibits complex dynamics during a forcing cycle, characterized by numerous coalescence events between thickened fluid ridges leading to coarsening. The presence of surfactant-induced Marangoni flow gives rise to a harmonic response, larger scale fluid structures of reduced amplitude, less frequent coalescence events, and less complicated film dynamics.
AB - The effect of gravity modulation on the nonlinear evolution of long-wavelength disturbances at the free surface of a surfactant-covered thin liquid layer is studied. The surfactants, which are assumed to be insoluble, give rise to interfacial concentration gradients and associated Marangoni flow in the underlying liquid film. A coupled system of lubrication-theory-based evolution equations for the film height and surfactant concentration is solved numerically using spectral methods. Previous work using Floquet theory had determined that small-amplitude long-wavelength disturbances are destabilized by gravity modulation in the presence of surfactant; uncontaminated films were found to be linearly stable. Our numerical results indicate that uncontaminated free surfaces are destabilized by nonlinearities and exhibit a harmonic response. The interface exhibits complex dynamics during a forcing cycle, characterized by numerous coalescence events between thickened fluid ridges leading to coarsening. The presence of surfactant-induced Marangoni flow gives rise to a harmonic response, larger scale fluid structures of reduced amplitude, less frequent coalescence events, and less complicated film dynamics.
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U2 - 10.1017/S0022112004001600
DO - 10.1017/S0022112004001600
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:12144253602
SN - 0022-1120
VL - 520
SP - 243
EP - 265
JO - Journal of Fluid Mechanics
JF - Journal of Fluid Mechanics
ER -