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.