Abstract
Within the framework of a semi-microscopic interface displacement model in the small slope approximation we analyze the linear stability of sessile ridges and drops of a non-volatile liquid on a homogeneous, partially wet substrate, for both signs and arbitrary amplitudes of the three-phase contact line tension. Focusing on perturbations which correspond to deformations of the three-phase contact line, we find that drops are generally stable while ridges are subject only to the long-wavelength Rayleigh-Plateau instability leading to a breakup into droplets, in contrast to the predictions of capillary models which take line tension into account. We argue that the short-wavelength instabilities predicted within the framework of the latter macroscopic capillary theory occur outside its range of validity and thus are spurious.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 66002 |
Journal | Europhysics Letters |
Volume | 80 |
Issue number | 6 |
Early online date | 19 Nov 2007 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2007 |
Externally published | Yes |