Drop-drop coalescence: a simple crossover function between inertial and viscous dynamics

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simple crossover function that models the transition between viscous and inertial regimes in drop coalescence, validated by experimental data and theoretical comparisons.

Contribution

It proposes a novel dimensionless crossover function that accurately describes the intermediate regime of drop coalescence, extending current models.

Findings

Power-law growth with exponents between 1/2 and 1 observed during coalescence.

The crossover function collapses diverse experimental data onto a single master curve.

The approach aligns well with recent theoretical models, enhancing understanding of the transition regimes.

Abstract

The coalescence of liquid drops is a fundamental process that remains incompletely understood, particularly in the intermediate regimes where capillary, viscous, and inertial forces are comparable. Here, we experimentally investigate the dynamics of drop-to-drop coalescence during the transition between viscous and inertial regimes using high-speed imaging. Our results reveal that the liquid bridge between droplets shows power-law growth with exponents between 1/2 and 1 during drop coalescence. We propose a novel scaling approach using a dimensionless crossover function that smoothly transitions between viscous and inertial limits. This simple approach, inspired by previous work on drop impact, successfully collapses the experimental data for a wide range of liquid viscosities and coalescence times onto a single master curve. We further compare our results with recent theoretical models and demonstrate how our approach complements and extends current understanding in the crossover of drop coalescence. This study contributes to both the fundamental physics of drop coalescence and its practical applications in various industrial processes.