Surface-tension effects in the contact of liquid surfaces

Abstract

The process by which two surfaces of the same liquid establish contact, as when two drops collide or raindrops fall on water, is studied. The mathematical formulation is based on the assumption of an incompressible, inviscid fluid with surface tension. A model problem with a simplified geometry is solved numerically by means of a boundary-integral method. The results imply that a number of toroidal bubbles form and remain entrapped between the contacting surfaces. Experimental evidence for this process, which is important for boiling nucleation and the formation of condensation nuclei for rain drops, is found in the literature.