Rogue nanowaves: A route to film rupture

Abstract

The rupture of thin liquid films on solid surfaces is conventionally assumed to be driven by intermolecular forces, in the so-called spinodal regime. Here, a theoretical framework is created for the experimentally observed thermal regime, in which fluctuation-induced nanowaves rupture films. Fluctuating hydrodynamics is able to capture this regime and its predictions are verified by molecular simulations. Rare-event theory is then applied to this field for the first time to reveal a novel picture of how and when rogue nanowaves create rupture.

Topics & Concepts