Autooscillations of surface tension in water-alcohol systems

Autooscillations of surface tension at the water-air interface are observed when a droplet of an alcohol is formed at the tip of a capillary immersed under the water surface. The new phenomenon is studied for a number of aliphatic alcohols. It was revealed that the oscillations period increases in the homologous series from pentanol to nonanol. The system behavior depends on the immersion depth of the capillary. The observed phenomenon is discussed from the point of view of the transition processes in the system and the Marangoni instability.