Droplet Traffic at a Simple Junction at Low Capillary Numbers

Wilfried Engl, Matthieu Roche, Annie Colin, Pascal Panizza, and Armand Ajdari
Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 208304 – Published 11 November 2005

Abstract

We report that, when a train of confined droplets flowing through a channel reaches a junction, the droplets either are alternately distributed between the different outlets or all collect into the shortest one. We argue that this behavior is due to the hydrodynamic feedback of droplets in the different outlets on the selection process occurring at the junction. A “mean field” model, yielding semiquantitative results, offers a first guide to predict droplet traffic in branched networks.

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  • Received 27 June 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.208304

©2005 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Wilfried Engl, Matthieu Roche, Annie Colin, and Pascal Panizza*

  • Laboratoire du Futur, Rhodia/CNRS, 178 Avenue A. Schweitzer, 33608 Pessac, France

Armand Ajdari

  • Physico-Chimie Théorique, UMR 7083 CNRS-ESPCI, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75231 Paris, France

  • *Electronic address: pascal.panizza-exterieur@eu.rhodia.com
  • Electronic address: armand.ajdari@espci.fr

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Issue

Vol. 95, Iss. 20 — 11 November 2005

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