Molecular dynamics of rupture phenomena in a liquid thread

Abstract

The interfacial motions of a liquid thread with nanometer-order diameter are numerically analyzed by the use of molecular dynamics simulations of up to 10 278 Lennard-Jones molecules in three dimensions. The rupture phenomena in a liquid thread and the formation process of ultrafine liquid particles are successfully simulated for various conditions. The numerical results of the interfacial phenomena in the liquid thread, which include the unstable wave motion and the rupture time, are quantitatively compared with the theoretical results based on the classical linear instability theories. Consequently, it is found that the numerical results of wavelength are in reasonable agreement with those obtained using the inviscid linear instability theory. The results obtained here, which are concerned with the rupture of ultrafine liquid thread, will provide fundamental information on the liquid atomization phenomena from a microscopic viewpoint.