The splash of a solid sphere impacting on a liquid surface: Numerical simulation of the influence of wetting

The impact of a solid sphere on a liquid surface has challenged researchers for centuries and remains of interest today. Recently, Duez et al. [Nat. Phys. 3, 180 (2007)] published experimental results of the splash generated when a solid sphere enters water. Interestingly, the microscopic properties of the solid surface control the nature of the macroscopic behavior of the splash. So by a change in the surface chemistry of the solid sphere, a big splash can be turned into an inconspicuous disappearance and vice versa. This problem was investigated by numerical simulations based on the Navier–Stokes equations coupled with the Cahn–Hilliard equations. This system allows us to simulate the motion of an air-water interface as a solid sphere impacts the liquid pond. The inclusion of the surface energies of the solid surface in the formulation gives a reasonably quantitative description of the dynamic wetting. Numerical results with different wetting properties and impact speed are presented and directly compared with the recent experimental results from Duez et al.