Acoustically induced breakup of levitated droplets

Abstract

Interfacial instability and atomization behavior on acoustically levitated droplets for further stable liquid manipulation were investigated. We visualized the atomization behavior of water and ethanol droplets. Atomization was clearly affected by the difference in surface tension. The pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the droplet was estimated from rapid droplet deformation immediately before its atomization. Finally, the capillary wave on the droplet surface that can trigger atomization was quantified and elucidated with the theory. The size distribution of atomized daughter droplets was compared with the length scale of the capillary wave on the droplet surface.