Size of the top jet drop produced by bubble bursting

Abstract

As a bubble bursts at a liquid-air interface, a tiny liquid jet rises and can release the so-called \textit{jet drops}. In this paper, the size of the top jet drop produced by a bubble bursting is investigated experimentally. We determine, and discuss, the first scaling law enabling the determination of the top jet drop size as a function of the corresponding mother bubble radius and the liquid properties (viscosity, surface tension, density), along with its regime of existence. Furthermore, in the aim of decoupling experimentally the effects of bubble collapse and jet dynamics on the drop detachment, we propose a new scaling providing the top drop size only as a function of the jet velocity and liquid parameters. In particular, this allows us to untangle the intricate roles of viscosity, gravity and surface tension in the \textit{end-pinching} of the bubble bursting jet.