Surface tension effects in a wedge

• Published in: Quarterly journal of mechanics and applied mathematics Vol. 51; no. 4; pp. 553 - 561
• Main Authors: Fowkes, ND, Hood, MJ
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.11.1998
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Exact sciences and technology; Fluid surfaces and fluid-fluid interfaces; Physics; Surface energy (surface tension, interface tension, angle of contact, etc.); Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Modelling; Surface tension; Semilunar cartilage; Non linear effect; Wedge; One dimensional model
• ISSN: 0033-5614; 1464-3855
• DOI: 10.1093/qjmam/51.4.553

The linearized Laplace-Young capillary equation has been solved for the depth of liquid contained in a region bounded by vertical walls at an arbitrary wedge angle 2α using the Kantorovich-Lebedev transform. These solutions accurately describe the surface displacement for surface contact angles γ close enough to π/2, for both convex and concave (re-entrant) wedge angles. By matching solutions of the linearized Laplace-Young equation solutions on the exactly known one-dimensional nonlinear Laplace-Young wall solutions, far-field approximations are obtained for arbitrary contact angle γ situations for possibly a restricted range of wedge angles.