Stability of a helicoidal surface inside a cylinder with pinned diameters

Whittaker, Robert ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9598-5938 and Cox, Simon (2015) Stability of a helicoidal surface inside a cylinder with pinned diameters. Quarterly Journal of Mechanics and Applied Mathematics, 68 (1). pp. 23-52. ISSN 0033-5614

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Abstract

A mathematical analysis is presented of the stability of a soap film with uniform surface tension when stretched between two diameters on the inside of a circular cylinder. The stability boundary is found as a critical twist angle θ between the two diameters, as a function of the aspect ratio l of the cylinder. Numerical and asymptotic results agree well with previous numerical simulations and experiments by Cox & Jones (J.\ Engr Math, 2014, 86, 1-7). Their hypothesis that the stability boundary for the multiple-vane case is identical to the single film case is confirmed. It is also shown that two distinct instability mechanisms operate. For moderate and small θ/l, the instability is driven by the decrease in area caused by the film moving to an off-diameter position. But for larger θ/l (more twisted films), the decrease in area is dominated by an internal rearrangement of the surface. The latter mechanism is more relevant to Plateau borders in foams, and our results indicate that straight Plateau borders should be stable at any length provided the total twist is less than π/√2.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Mathematics (former - to 2024)
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Fluid and Solid Mechanics (former - to 2024) Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Fluids & Structures
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	21 Jan 2015 09:30
Last Modified:	07 Nov 2024 12:38
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/51917
DOI:	10.1093/qjmam/hbu026

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