Related papers: Soft beams: when capillarity induces axial compres…
We study the interaction of a liquid drop with an elastic beam in the case where bending effects dominate. We use a variational approach to derive equilibrium equations for the system in the presence of gravity and in the presence or…
The equilibrium shape of liquid drops on elastic substrates is determined by minimising elastic and capillary free energies, focusing on thick incompressible substrates. The problem is governed by three length scales: the size of the drop…
The contact angle that a liquid drop makes on a soft substrate does not obey the classical Young's relation, since the solid is deformed elastically by the action of the capillary forces. The finite elasticity of the solid also renders the…
Recent studies of elasto-capillary phenomena have triggered interest in a basic variant of the classical Young-Laplace-Dupr\'e (YLD) problem: The capillary interaction between a liquid drop and a thin solid sheet of low bending stiffness.…
The capillary forces exerted by liquid drops and bubbles on a soft solid are directly measured using molecular dynamics simulations. The force on the solid by the liquid near the contact line is not oriented along the liquid vapor interface…
The interfacial mechanics of soft elastic networks play a central role in biological and technological contexts. Yet, effects of solid capillarity have remained controversial, primarily due to the strain-dependent surface energy. Here we…
In recent years, there has been a considerable interest in the mechanics of soft objects meeting fluid interfaces (elasto-capillary interactions). In this work we experimentally examine the case of a fluid resting on a thin film of rigid…
The contact angle of a liquid drop on a rigid surface is determined by the classical theory of Young-Laplace. For chemically homogeneous surfaces, this angle is a constant. We study the minimal-energy configurations of liquid drops on rough…
The understanding of the spreading of liquids on solid surfaces is an important challenge for contemporary physics. Today, the motion of the contact line formed at the intersection of two immiscible fluids and a solid is still subject to…
Capillary forces acting at the surface of a liquid drop can be strong enough to deform small objects and recent studies have provided several examples of elastic instabilities induced by surface tension. We present such an example where a…
We calculate the normal capillary retention force that anchors a drop to a solid surface in the direction perpendicular to the surface, and study the relationship between such force and the Young-Dupre work of adhesion. We also calculate…
Young's law fails on soft solid and liquid substrates where there are substantial deformations near the contact line. On liquid substrates, this is captured by Neumann's classic analysis, which provides a geometrical construction for…
We study the elastic properties of soft solids containing air bubbles. Contrary to standard porous materials, the softness of the matrix allows for a coupling of the matrix elasticity to surface tension forces brought in by the bubbles.…
The wetting of soft elastic substrates exhibits many features that have no counterpart on rigid surfaces. Modelling the detailed elastocapillary interactions is challenging, and has so far been limited to single contact lines or single…
A droplet can deform a soft substrate due to capillary forces when they are in contact. We study the static deformation of a soft solid layer coated on a rigid cylindrical fiber when an axisymmetric barrel-shaped droplet is embracing it. We…
In this paper we discuss the motion of a beam in interaction with fluids. We allow the beam to move freely in all coordinate directions. We consider the case of a beam situated in between two different fluids as well as the case where the…
Using a thermodynamical approach, we calculate the deformation of a spherical elastic particle placed on a rigid substrate, under zero external load, and including an ingredient of importance in soft matter: the interfacial tension of the…
The motion of an object within a viscous fluid and in the vicinity of a soft surface induces a hydrodynamic stress field that deforms the latter, thus modifying the boundary conditions of the flow. This results in elastohydrodynamic (EHD)…
In an effort to study the stability of contact lines in fluids, we consider the dynamics of a drop of incompressible viscous Stokes fluid evolving above a one-dimensional flat surface under the influence of gravity. This is a free boundary…
The ability of soft matter such as drops and bubbles to change shape dynamically during interaction can give rise to counter-intuitive behaviour that may be expected of rigid materials. Here we show that dimple formation on approach and the…