Capillarity-induced zippering of a flexible train floating on an air-water interface
Capillarity-induced zippering of a flexible train floating on an air-water interface,
Vella, D., H-Y. Kim and L. Mahadevan, Journal of Fluid Mechanics , 502, 89-98, 2004.
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Abstract
We consider the dynamics of capillary attraction between an articulated train of rigid
rods floating at a liquid–gas interface and a nearby wall. We then explain some of
the phenomena that are a result of the strong anisotropy and the extended nature of
the system, such as the lining up next to the walling in a ‘zippering’ motion that is
observed and compare our results qualitatively with those of experiments.