Inhibition of the finite-time singularity during droplet fission of a polymeric fluid

When a drop of fluid detaches from a capillary, singular behavior ensues. We show that the addition of very small amounts of polymer inhibits this singularity in an abrupt way and gives rise, after a period of self-similar dynamics as for simple liquids, to long-lived cylindrical necks or filaments which thin exponentially in time. This abrupt change occurs when the elongation rate (epsilon) over dot becomes comparable to the inverse of the polymer relaxation time leading to a large elongational viscosity eta (E) Of the dilute polymer solution.