Size of the top jet drop produced by bubble bursting

As a bubble bursts at a liquid-air interface, a tiny liquid jet rises and can release the so-called jet drops. In this paper the size of the top jet drop produced by a bubble bursting is investigated experimentally. We determine and discuss the first scaling law enabling the determination of the top jet drop size as a function of the corresponding mother bubble radius and the liquid properties (viscosity, surface tension, and density), along with its regime of existence. Furthermore, with the aim of decoupling experimentally the effects of bubble collapse and jet dynamics on the drop detachment, we propose a scaling providing the top drop size only as a function of the jet velocity and liquid parameters. In particular, this allows us to untangle the intricate roles of viscosity, gravity, and surface tension in the end pinching of the bubble bursting jet.Received 10 May 2016DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevFluids.1.051901©2016 American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasDrop breakupMicrofluidicsFluid Dynamics