Viscoelasticity reduces the droplet size in mucosalivary film fragmentation during intense respiratory events
Fuente:
arXiv
Guardado en:
| Autores principales: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Formato: | Preprint |
| Publicado: |
2025
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | |
| Etiquetas: |
Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
|
| _version_ | 1866912388808179712 |
|---|---|
| author | Li, Mogeng Saade, Youssef Zaleski, Stéphane Sen, Uddalok Kant, Pallav Lohse, Detlef |
| author_facet | Li, Mogeng Saade, Youssef Zaleski, Stéphane Sen, Uddalok Kant, Pallav Lohse, Detlef |
| contents | We examine the fundamental fluid dynamical mechanisms dictating the generation of bioaerosols in the human trachea during intense respiratory events such as coughing and sneezing, with an emphasis on the role played by the mucosalivary fluid viscoelasticity. An experimental investigation of the shear-induced fragmentation of a mucosalivary-mimetic fluid in a confined geometry reveals that viscoelastic liquids undergo atomization in a manner akin to Newtonian liquids -- via the formation of bag-like structures -- which ultimately rupture through the appearance of retracting holes on the bag surface. Droplets are produced via the unstable retraction of liquid rims bounding these holes. However, in comparison to Newtonian liquids, viscoelastic bags inflate to larger sizes -- implying thinner sheets and, consequently smaller droplets upon rupture. Numerical simulations support that the smaller droplets can be attributed to the thinner sheets, with a more uniform thickness, for viscoelastic bags prior to rupture. Hence, we highlight the role of the viscoelasticity in determining the thickness of the intermediate bag-like structures, which, in turn, govern the droplet size distribution of the expelled aerosol. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2502_05105 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Viscoelasticity reduces the droplet size in mucosalivary film fragmentation during intense respiratory events Li, Mogeng Saade, Youssef Zaleski, Stéphane Sen, Uddalok Kant, Pallav Lohse, Detlef Fluid Dynamics Soft Condensed Matter We examine the fundamental fluid dynamical mechanisms dictating the generation of bioaerosols in the human trachea during intense respiratory events such as coughing and sneezing, with an emphasis on the role played by the mucosalivary fluid viscoelasticity. An experimental investigation of the shear-induced fragmentation of a mucosalivary-mimetic fluid in a confined geometry reveals that viscoelastic liquids undergo atomization in a manner akin to Newtonian liquids -- via the formation of bag-like structures -- which ultimately rupture through the appearance of retracting holes on the bag surface. Droplets are produced via the unstable retraction of liquid rims bounding these holes. However, in comparison to Newtonian liquids, viscoelastic bags inflate to larger sizes -- implying thinner sheets and, consequently smaller droplets upon rupture. Numerical simulations support that the smaller droplets can be attributed to the thinner sheets, with a more uniform thickness, for viscoelastic bags prior to rupture. Hence, we highlight the role of the viscoelasticity in determining the thickness of the intermediate bag-like structures, which, in turn, govern the droplet size distribution of the expelled aerosol. |
| title | Viscoelasticity reduces the droplet size in mucosalivary film fragmentation during intense respiratory events |
| topic | Fluid Dynamics Soft Condensed Matter |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.05105 |