AI Article Synopsis
- A rivulet on an inclined plane tends to meander instead of flowing straight due to two main factors: fluid inertia and uneven friction with the surface.
- The meandering happens when it's harder for the flow to move perpendicular to its direction than parallel to it.
- Researchers have established a formula for predicting when this meandering starts and validated it through experiments with rivulets between two glass plates, noting that once meandering starts, the rivulet creates patterns with a typical wavelength of a few centimeters.
Article Abstract
A rivulet flowing down an inclined plane often does not follow a straight path, but starts to meander spontaneously. Here we show that this instability is the result of two key ingredients: fluid inertia and anisotropy of the friction between rivulet and substrate. Meandering only occurs if the motion normal to the instantaneous flow direction is more difficult than parallel to it. We give a quantitative criterion for the onset of meandering and confirm it by comparing to the flow of a rivulet between two glass plates which are wetted completely. Above the threshold, the rivulet follows an irregular pattern with a typical wavelength of a few cm.
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Source |
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.184501 | DOI Listing |
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