Symmetry breaking in drop bouncing on curved surfaces

Yahua Liu, Matthew Andrew, Jing Li, Julia M. Yeomans () and Zuankai Wang ()
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Yahua Liu: City University of Hong Kong
Matthew Andrew: The Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics
Jing Li: City University of Hong Kong
Julia M. Yeomans: The Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics
Zuankai Wang: City University of Hong Kong

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract The impact of liquid drops on solid surfaces is ubiquitous in nature, and of practical importance in many industrial processes. A drop hitting a flat surface retains a circular symmetry throughout the impact process. Here we show that a drop impinging on Echevaria leaves exhibits asymmetric bouncing dynamics with distinct spreading and retraction along two perpendicular directions. This is a direct consequence of the cylindrical leaves that have a convex/concave architecture of size comparable to the drop. Systematic experimental investigations on mimetic surfaces and lattice Boltzmann simulations reveal that this novel phenomenon results from an asymmetric momentum and mass distribution that allows for preferential fluid pumping around the drop rim. The asymmetry of the bouncing leads to ∼40% reduction in contact time.

Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10034

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