Characterize thickness profile and formation mechanism of the bubble-base liquid microlayer

Characterize the detailed thickness profile of the evaporative liquid microlayer at the base of the growing interfacial vapor bubble and elucidate the mechanism by which this microlayer forms during magic carpet breakup of a water droplet impacting a heated substrate in a depressurized environment, to enable accurate thermophysical modeling at the triple-phase contact line.

Background

The experiments indicate the presence of a liquid microlayer at the bubble base is highly probable and that microdroplet formation at the receding contact line affects local surface temperature recovery. However, quantitative details of the microlayer’s thickness distribution and the physics of its formation remain unresolved.

Resolving the microlayer structure and formation mechanism is essential for determining vapor temperature and pressure within the growing bubble and for modeling heat and mass transfer that drive explosive rebound (magic carpet breakup) under depressurized conditions.