Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Under applied forcing, static droplet retention is accompanied by contact angle asymmetry, with unequal apparent contact angles on opposite sides. Yet, the relation between the asymmetry and forcing lacks a common constitutive basis. Here, we show that the asymmetry emerges from minimizing the forcing-dependent free energy. The response of the asymmetry to forcing defines a susceptibility whose zero-forcing value yields a universal constitutive relation between the asymmetry and forcing. The constitutive relation is quantitatively validated across liquids, volumes, and forcing levels.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Bi, Lisen, Wang, Fei, Yin, Ruize, Nestler, Britta
Institution: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Computational Mechanics
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G677742434, G7287829295
OpenAlex ID: W7224026463