Singular jets in compound drop impact

TL;DR

This study explores the formation of extremely fast singular jets during the impact of compound water-in-oil drops on surfaces, revealing their dynamics, conditions for occurrence, and underlying physics through experiments and simulations.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the jetting phenomena of compound drops, including the conditions for singular jet formation and their scaling laws, combining experimental and numerical analysis.

Findings

Singular jets can be up to dozens of times faster than impact velocity.

Two velocity peaks are observed depending on impact conditions and volumetric ratios.

Collapse dynamics follow distinct power laws related to bubble pinch-off and inertial-capillary balance.

Abstract

Compound drop impacting on a solid surface is of considerable importance in industrial applications, such as combustion, food industry, and drug encapsulation. An intriguing phenomenon associated with this process is the occurrence of singular jets that are up to dozens of times faster than the impact velocity. These jets break into micro-droplets, which can produce aerosols and affect the quality of printing technologies. Here, we investigate experimentally and numerically the jetting process after a coaxial water-in-oil compound drop impacts on a glass substrate with different releasing heights and volumetric ratios. After impact, the water core spreads and retracts, giving rise to a vertical jet initially made of oil. For certain values of the impacting velocity, high speed and very thin jets are observed, the so-called singular jets. Depending on the volumetric ratio, one or two velocity peaks can be observed when varying the impact velocity, triggered by the contraction dynamics of a deep and cylindrical cavity. The self-similar time-evolution of the collapse for the first singularity regime follows a 1/2 power law in time, which can be derived from bubble pinch-off. In contrast, the collapse at the second peak follows a 2/3 power law, which can be accounted for by a balance between inertial and capillary forces.