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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Shukla, Sanjay, Toschi, Federico
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.19774
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Table of Contents:
  • The breakup of thinning (stretching) liquid ligaments is strongly influenced by localized perturbations arising from impurities or suspended particles. Using numerical simulations and analytical modelling, we investigate the role of a solid particle on the breakup dynamics of a stretching liquid ligament. We show that particle-induced perturbations trigger a universal pinch-off dynamics in the viscous regime. Once the ligament surface approaches the particle, the subsequent breakup becomes self-similar and independent of the particle size. We derive an analytical expression for the pinch-off time based on the interplay between ligament stretching and Rayleigh-Plateau instability, which agrees quantitatively with simulations. Our results reveal a universal mechanism by which localized perturbations control the breakup of ligaments containing solid particles.