Confinement-Induced Suppression of Jet Drop Size by Bubble Bursting in Shallow Liquids

Abstract

Bubble bursting is a major source of aerosol generation in a wide range of natural and industrial systems. While the resulting jet dynamics have been extensively studied in deep liquid pools, bubble bursting often occurs in shallow liquid layers where the influence of the nearby solid boundary remains poorly understood. Here, we show numerically that a shallow liquid layer produces smaller and more numerous jet drops, even when the initial bubble shape is unchanged. We identify a wall-induced viscous sticking effect that suppresses the upward motion of the cavity bottom, leading to a steeper cavity geometry during capillary-wave focusing. We further develop a semi-empirical scaling law that predicts the jet drop radius as a function of the Ohnesorge number and the initial bubble-wall distance. Our results establish geometric confinement as a governing factor in bubble bursting and provide a framework for predicting and controlling aerosol generation in shallow liquid environments.