I started in this field by studying drop coalescence, and in particular the
phenomenon known as partial coalescence, with Terry Bigioni. This
resulted in a first a paper explaining the basic mechanism at
play, which was published in Nature-Physics, April 2006, 2(4), 254-257.
Partial coalescence of drops at liquid interfaces
and then a more complete description of the possible outcomes of
coalescence, published in Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 620, 333-352, February 2009
Dynamics of drop coalescence at fluid interfaces
This work was later extended, with Laura Messio and John Bush, to
consider cases where the surface tensions are not equal
(Marangoni effect). This lead to a publication in Physics of
Fluids, July 2009, 21(7), 072107.
The influence of surface tension gradients on drop coalescence
In the meantime, I also collaborated with Wendy Zhang to
investigate the what happens if a suction is applied near the
interface of two immiscible fluids, and how one or both fluids
may be entrained into a straw, leading to a publication in
Physical Review Letters, April 2009, 102, 144501.
Force Balance at the Transition from
Selective Withdrawal to Viscous Entrainment
In a more theoretical line, I joined forces with Yue Lei to
derive an energy equation applicable to systems of variable
surface tension. Surprisingly, such an equation had not been
derived yet, so we published our work in SIAM Review, May 2009,
51(2), 423-431.
Energy considerations for multiphase fluids with variable density and surface tension
After much delay, I finally published the results of my work on
simulations of drops within a capillary. The unexpected pattern
with the drops, 3 counter-rotating rings was explained in a paper
published in Physical Review E, June 2009, 80 (6), 066316
Flow lines and mixing within drops in microcapillaries
I am currently working on investigating mixing and stress in
and around drops flowing in tubes and coalescing. Hopefully,
this will soon be extended to allow for flexible tubes, such as
those present in digestive and circulatory systems.