Meniscus Instability in a Thin Elastic Film

Animangsu Ghatak, Manoj K. Chaudhury, Vijay Shenoy, and Ashutosh Sharma
Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 4329 – Published 13 November 2000
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Abstract

A new kind of meniscus instability leading to the formation of stationary fingers with a well-defined spacing has been observed in experiments with elastomeric films confined between a plane rigid glass and a thin curved glass plate. The wavelength of the instability increases linearly with the thickness of the confined film, but it is remarkably insensitive to the compliance and the energetics of the system. However, lateral amplitude (length) of the fingers depends on the compliance of the system and on the radius of curvature of the glass plate. A simple linear stability analysis is used to explain the underlying physics and the key observed features of the instability.

  • Received 16 May 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.85.4329

©2000 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Animangsu Ghatak1, Manoj K. Chaudhury1,*, Vijay Shenoy2, and Ashutosh Sharma3

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015
  • 2Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, UP 208016, India
  • 3Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, UP 208016, India

  • *To whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic address: mkc4@lehigh.edu

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Issue

Vol. 85, Iss. 20 — 13 November 2000

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