Damping Oscillations of Microdroplets of a Droplet Cluster in an External Electric Field

Abstract

The forces acting on levitating water microdroplets in the structure of a droplet cluster (A.A. Fedorets, 2004) have been analyzed. It is found that microdroplets in the cluster should undergo low-frequency vertical damping oscillations near the equilibrium position. Oscillations occur also when switching on an external electric field, which affects the oscillation frequency and equilibrium position. Microdroplets are shown to lose their stability in the critical range of parameters. The electric fields are calculated in the simplest experimental scheme for simulating the effect of electric field on a droplet cluster.