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Fluid Dynamics Seminar

Monday, Feb. 6, 2012, 4:00 PM
Cullimore, Room 611
New Jersey Institute of Technology

Modeling thin film instabilities with application to liquid metals on nanoscale

Lou Kondic

Dept. of Mathematical Sciences, NJIT

Abstract

We will start by discussing techniques used to model thin films and similar geometries within the framework of long-wave theory. Then we concentrate on the influence of finite size effects on the breakup process involving finite-size films and rivulets. For films, we show that the breakup process due to finite size effects can be related to a particular mode of instability of infinite films, so called nucleation type of instability. Next, we revisit the classical problem of rivulet instability and discuss whether finite size effects may be important in determining relevant instability mechanisms. In the second part of the talk, we apply our results to breakup of nano-scale metal lines and rings liquefied by repeated laser pulses. Some new and surprising results are found when various types of instabilities interact. We will conclude by discussing first attempts towards directed assembly of metal films on nanoscale.