Thermal instabilities in thin liquid films
Research goal
Using stochastic simulations, we investigate the effect of thermal fluctuations at the interface of thin films between two foam bubbles. Thermal fluctuations have been shown to influence planar thin film dynamics, but their role in nonplanar films is largely unexplored. An important step forward from existing studies is to include the curvature, corresponding to the Plateau border, in the description of thin liquid films. The insights generated in this project will help us better understand the role of thermal fluctuations in the stability of emulsions and foams in food products.
Figure 1: On the left, deterministic evolution of a nearly flat thin-film is shown. On the right, its stochastic evolution is shown.
Figure 2: Dimensionless rupture times versus dimensionless curvature (ratio of two competing pressures: laplace pressure/van der Waals disjoining pressure) for different values of noise intensity.
Researcher
Cooperation & Funding
ISPT/NWO