The formation of a liquid bridge during the coalescence of drops

This paper examines a mathematical model for the coalescence of two viscous liquid volumes in an inviscid gas or in a vacuum which removes the pressure singularity at the instant of impact inherent in the classical formulation of the continuum model. The very early stages of coalescence are examined in order to study the formation of the liquid bridge in two cases: (i) for two infinitely long, coalescing liquid cylinders; and (ii) for two coalescing spheres. Numerical solutions are computed for the velocity and pressure fields in the flow in both cases, and they confirm the removal of the pressure singularity. Also, the free-surface position at small times is determined. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.