A KINETIC THEORY DESCRIPTION OF LIQUID MENISCI AT THE MICROSCALE

A kinetic model for the study of capillary flows in devices with microscale geometry is presented. The model is based on the Enskog-Vlasov kinetic equation and provides a reasonable description of both fluid-fluid and fluid-wall interactions. Numerical solutions are obtained by an extension of the classical Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) to dense fluids. The equilibrium properties of liquid menisci between two hydrophilic walls are investigated and the validity of the Laplace-Kelvin equation at the microscale is assessed. The dynamical process which leads to the meniscus breakage is clarified.