Influence of charge relaxation on the capillary disintegration of a jet of a viscous dielectric liquid placed in an electrostatic field collinear with the axis of the jet

A dispersion relation is derived for capillary waves with an arbitrary symmetry on the surface of a charged jet of a finite-conductivity viscous liquid placed in an electric field collinear with the axis of the jet. Analytical calculations are carried out in an approximation that is linear in dimensionless wave amplitude. In the case of axisymmetric waves, the instability of which causes disintegration of the jet into drops, the finiteness of the potential equalization rate has a noticeable effect only for jets of poorly conducting liquids. The charge relaxation shows up in that “purely relaxation” periodic and aperiodic liquid flows arise. When the conductivity of the liquid declines, the instability growth rates for unstable waves increase and their spectrum extends toward short waves. A charge present on the surface of the jet enhances its instability. An increase in the charge surface diffusion coefficient variously influences the capillary and relaxation branches of the solution: the damping ratio increases in the former case and decreases in the latter. As the diffusion coefficient rises, relaxation flows may become unstable.     

On the capillary stability of a cylindrical dielectric liquid jet in a longitudinal electrostatic field

A dispersion relation is derived for capillary waves with arbitrary symmetry (with arbitrary azimuthal numbers) on the surface of a cylindrical jet of an ideal incompressible dielectric liquid subjected to an electrostatic field aligned with the symmetry axis of the jet. It is shown that only long axisymmetric waves can experience capillary instability in such a system. The wavenumber range into which unstable waves fall begins with a zero value, and its width depends on the permittivities of the liquid and ambient and on the electrostatic field strength squared. As the field strength grows, the wavenumber range for unstable waves rapidly narrows and the capillary instability growth rate, as well as the wavenumber of the wave with the greatest growth rate, decreases.     

On capillary motion of a viscoelastic liquid with a charged free surface

The structure of the capillary-relaxation motion spectrum in a liquid with a charged free surface has been investigated taking into account the viscosity relaxation effect. On the basis of numerical analysis of the dispersion equation for the wave motion in a viscoelastic incompressible liquid, it is shown that for a given wave number the range of characteristic relaxation times in which relaxation-type wave motion exists is limited and expands with increasing wave number. The growth rate of instability of the charged liquid surface markedly depends on the characteristic relaxation time and increases with its growth; in liquids with elastic properties, the energy dissipation rate of capillary motion is enhanced. At a surface charge density that is supercritical for the onset of Tonks-Frenkel instability, both purely gravitational waves and waves of a relaxational nature exist.     

Electrostatic instability of a heavily charged conducting liquid jet

The effect of electric charge on the jet surface on the capillary instability of the jet and its disintegration into drops is analyzed. A theoretical explanation is given for the electrostatic mechanism of instability development and jet disintegration that is akin to the mechanisms behind the instability of a heavily charged drop (Rayleigh instability) and flat uniformly charged liquid surface (Tonks-Frenkel instability) but differs qualitatively from the conventional capillary mechanism of instability and disintegration.     

On the stability of a cylindrical jet moving in a material medium along an external electrostatic field

A dispersion relation is derived for capillary waves with arbitrary symmetry (with arbitrary azimuthal numbers) on the surface of a jet of an ideal incompressible dielectric liquid moving in an ideal incompressible dielectric medium along an external uniform electrostatic field. A tangential discontinuity in the velocity field on the jet surface is shown to cause Kelvin-Helmholtz periodical instability at the interface and destabilize axisymmetric, flexural, and flexural-deformational waves. Both the flexural and flexural-deformational instabilities have a threshold and are observed not at an arbitrarily small velocity of the jet but starting from a certain finite value. It is shown that the instability of waves generated by the tangential discontinuity of the velocity field is periodic only formally (from the pure mathematical point of view). Actually, the jet disintegrates within the time of instability development, which is shorter than the half-cycle of the wave.     

On the stability of capillary waves on the surface of a space-charged dielectric liquid jet moving in a material medium

We have derived and analyzed the dispersion equation for capillary waves with an arbitrary symmetry (with arbitrary azimuthal numbers) on the surface of a space-charged cylindrical jet of an ideal incompressible dielectric liquid moving relative to an ideal incompressible dielectric medium. It has been proved that the existence of a tangential jump of the velocity field on the jet surface leads to a periodic Kelvin–Helmholtz- type instability at the interface between the media and plays a destabilizing role. The wavenumber ranges of unstable waves and the instability increments depend on the squared velocity of the relative motion and increase with the velocity. With increasing volume charge density, the critical value of the velocity for the emergence of instability decreases. The reduction of the permittivity of the liquid in the jet or an increase in the permittivity of the medium narrows the regions of instability and leads to an increase in the increments. The wavenumber of the most unstable wave increases in accordance with a power law upon an increase in the volume charge density and velocity of the jet. The variations in the permittivities of the jet and the medium produce opposite effects on the wavenumber of the most unstable wave.     

On the stability of capillary waves on the surface of a charged jet moving relative to the environment

A dispersion relation is derived for capillary waves with arbitrary symmetry (arbitrary azimuthal numbers) on the surface of a charged cylindrical jet of an ideal incompressible conducting liquid moving relative to an ideal incompressible dielectric medium. It is shown that a tangential discontinuity in the velocity field on the surface of the jet leads to periodic instability of waves (similar to the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability) at the interface and destabilizes both axisymmetric and flexural waves. The wavenumber range for unstable waves and the instability growth rate increase with the field strength and relative speed of motion, varying as the square of these parameters. In the case of the neutral jet, the flexural instability is of the threshold character and sets in starting from a certain finite value of the speed rather than at an arbitrary small speed.     

Nonlinear periodic waves on the charged surface of a viscous finite-conductivity fluid

The profile of a periodic capillary-gravitational wave propagating over the surface of a viscous finite-conductivity fluid is found in a second-order approximation in initial deformation amplitude. When the finiteness of the rate with which the potential of the fluid smoothes out as capillary-gravitational waves travel over its free surface is taken into account, the intensity of nonlinear interaction between the waves changes. This intensity is found to depend on the electric charge surface density, conductivity of the fluid, and wavenumbers. The finiteness of the potential smoothing rate influences the nonlinear interaction between the waves nonmonotonically.     

Nonlinear instability of charged liquid jets: Effect of interfacial charge relaxation

A linear and nonlinear study has been made of cylindrical interface, carrying a uniform surface charge in the presence of a finite rate of charge relaxation, is investigated by using multiple scales method. The linear stability flow is analyzed by deriving a dispersion relation for the growth waves, and solving it analytically and numerically to find marginal stability curves. We investigate the electric charge relaxation effects on the stability of the flow by considering various limiting cases. We also examine the effects of finite charge relaxation times in axisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric modes. In the nonlinear approach, it is shown that the evolution of the amplitude is governed by a Ginzburg–Landau equation. There is also obtained a nonlinear modified Schrödinger equation describing the evolution of wave packets for small charge relaxation time. Further, the classic Schrödinger equation is obtained when the influence of relaxation time charge is neglected. On the other hand, the complex amplitude of quasi-monochromatic standing waves near the cutoff wavenumber is governed by a similarly type of nonlinear Schrödinger equation in which the roles of time and space are interchanged. This equation makes it possible to estimate the nonlinear effect on the cutoff wavenumber. The nonlinear theory, when used to investigate the stability of charged liquid jet, appears accurately to predict a new unstable regions. The effects of the surface charge and charge relaxation on the stability are identified. The various stability criteria are discussed both analytically and numerically and the stability diagrams are obtained.     

Capillary oscillations of a flat charged surface of liquid with finite conductivity

A dispersion relation is proposed and analyzed for the spectrum of capillary motion at a charged flat liquid surface with allowance made for the finite rate of charge redistribution accompanying equalization of the potential as a result of the wave deformation of the free surface. It is shown that when the conductivity of the liquid is low, a highly charged surface becomes unstable as a result of an increase in the amplitude of the aperiodic chargerelaxation motion of the liquid and not of the wave motion, as is observed for highly conducting media. The finite rate of charge redistribution strongly influences the structure of the capillary motion spectrum of the liquid and the conditions for the establishment of instability of its charged surface when the characteristic charge relaxation time is comparable with the characteristic time for equalization of the wave deformations of the free surface of the liquid. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 34–41 (August 1997)     

Asymptotic analysis of nonlinear nonaxisymmetric waves on the surface of a neutral dielectric jet in a longitudinal electrostatic field

The problem of calculation of finite-amplitude waves on the cylindrical surface of an ideal incompressible dielectric liquid jet in a uniform electrostatic field collinear to the unperturbed jet axis is solved using a second-order asymptotic analytic procedure in ratio of the wave amplitude to the jet radius. Nonlinear corrections to the jet profile, velocity field potential, and electrostatic potentials inside and outside the jet are of resonant nature. The degenerate resonant interaction between the wave determining the initial strain and the waves excited due to nonlinearity of the hydrodynamic equations can take place for waves with different symmetries (different azimuth numbers).     

Nonlinear analysis of a wave motion on the surface of a jet moving in a dielectric medium placed in a longitudinal electric field

The possibility of degenerate internal nonlinear resonance interaction between capillary waves with arbitrary symmetry (arbitrary azimuthal numbers) on the surface of a charged cylindrical jet of an ideal incompressible conducting liquid is demonstrated. The jet moves in an ideal incompressible dielectric medium collinearly with an external uniform electrostatic field. It is shown, in particular, that six different resonance situations take place for axisymmetric waves in which primary waves and waves due to the nonlinearity of the equations of hydrodynamics exchange energy.     

Sufficient conditions for linear long-wave instability of steady-state axisymmetric flows of an ideal liquid with a free boundary in an azimuthal magnetic field

The problem of linear stability of steady-state axisymmetric shear jet flows of an inviscid ideally conducting incompressible liquid with a free surface and “frozen-in” azimuthal magnetic field is analyzed. The sufficient conditions for theoretical (on semi-infinite time intervals) and practical (on finite time intervals) instability of these flows relative to small axisymmetric long-wave perturbations are obtained by the direct Lyapunov method. An a priori lower estimate indicating (at least) an exponential increase with time of small perturbations under investigation is constructed in the case when these conditions are valid for theoretical as well as practical instability. In addition, an illustrative analytic example of steady-state flows under investigation and small axisymmetric long-wave perturbations superimposed on them is constructed (according to our estimate, these perturbations increase with time).     

On the instability against the surface charge of a liquid meniscus at the end of a capillary

The subject of consideration is instability of the flat meniscus of a viscous liquid at the end of a capillary in the gravitational field and an electrostatic field when the symmetry axis of the capillary is arbitrarily oriented relative to the direction of free-fall acceleration. It is shown that, if the electrostatic field strength is high, the development of meniscus instability does not depend on the orientation of the capillary. The instability growth rate versus wavenumber dependence for annular waves of different types on the meniscus surface is found to be nonmonotonic.     

Nonlinear analysis of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability at the charged interface

An asymptotic solution to the problem of analyzing the nonlinear stage of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability at the uniformly charged interface between two (conducting and insulating) immiscible ideal incompressible liquids is derived in the third order of smallness. It is found that the charge expands the range of waves experiencing instability toward shorter waves and decreases the length of the wave with a maximum growth rate. It turns out that the characteristic linear scale of interface deformation, which arises when the heavy liquid flows into the light one, decreases as the charge surface density increases in proportion to the square root of the Tonks-Frenkel parameter characterizing the stability of the interface against the distributed self-charge.     

Thickness of a boundary layer attributed to the wave motion on the charged free surface of a viscous liquid

It is shown that the analytical estimator for the boundary layer thickness that contains the wave frequency in the denominator and is proposed for approximate calculation of the wave motion on the free surface of a viscous liquid cannot be formally applied to the wave motion on the uniformly charged liquid surface. The fact is that, when the surface charge density attains a value critical in terms for the Tonks-Frenkel instability, the wave frequency tends to zero. From the analysis of liquid motions near the electric charge critical density, a technique is proposed for calculating the thickness of a boundary layer attributed to flows of various kinds. It is found that the thickness of the boundary layer due to aperiodic flows with amplitudes exponentially growing with time (such flows take place at the stage of instability against the surface charge) does not exceed a few tenths of the wavelength, whereas the thickness of the boundary layer due to exponentially decaying liquid flows is roughly equal to the wavelength.     

Dust Sheared Flow Driven Instability of Dust Drift Waves in a Nonuniform Magnetoplasma

We investigate instability of dust drift waves in a nonuniform dusty magnetoplasma containing transverse sheared plasma flow that is produced by a nonuniform electric field. By using Boltzmann distributed electrons and ions, Poisson’s equation, as well as the dust continuity equation with perpendicular guiding center dust drift speed, we derive an eigenvalue equation, which strongly depends on the profiles of dust sheared flow and dust density gradient. The eigenvalue equation is analytically solved to obtain expressions for the growth rate and threshold of a convective instability arising from resonant interactions between the dust drift waves and sheared flows. The result may be relevant to the understanding of short wavelength (in comparison with the ion gyroradius) electrostatic fluctuations in magnetized plasmas of Saturn rings and in cometary tails. PACS numbers: 52.27.Lw; 52.35.Fp     

Spontaneous disintegration of a noncylindrical jet emitted from the liquid surface unstable against self-charge

A dispersion relation for waves on the surface of a charged viscous incompressible conducting liquid jet with an arbitrary azimuthal number is derived. It is shown that the influence of deformation on the growth rate and wavenumber of the most unstable mode varies according to the sign of local deformation relative to the cylindrical jet (the locality is specified by the wavelength), azimuthal number, and electric charge per unit length of the jet. This circumstance should be taken into account to comprehend conditions of liquid spontaneous electrodispersion.     

On bending instability of a volumetrically charged capillary jet of dielectric liquids

It is shown that jets of volumetrically charged dielectric liquids in the vicinity of point k = 0 are characterized by a finite range of wavenumbers, in which a jet exhibits bending instability. The interval of wavenumbers corresponding to unstable waves with azimuth number m = 1, as well as the increment of the most unstable wave and its wavenumber, increase in proportional to the electric charge per unit length of the jet and the permittivity of the liquid.     

Influence of charge relaxation on the capillary oscillations of a charged viscous spheroidal drop

A dispersion relation is derived for the spectrum of capillary modes of a charged spheroidal drop of a viscous liquid with allowance for charge relaxation. It is shown that the finite charge transport rate leads to lowering of the instability growth rates for various capillary modes of a spheroidal drop of a low-viscosity liquid. As the degree of deformation of the drop increases, the magnitude of the absolute change in the growth rate caused by the finite rate of charge redistribution decreases. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 28–36 (August 1999)