Precursors of Thin Film Rupture: Similarity Solution of Surfactant-Driven, Inertial Capillary Waves

The thinning of liquid sheets and the resulting capillary waves due to surfactant deposition are relevant to understanding how bubbles burst, with implications for the environment, health, and industry. Here, a similarity solution is obtained, which describes the sheet thinning and capillary waves. The final rupture mechanism of a bubble is explored, suggesting that insoluble surfactant deposition alone does not cause finite-time rupture; instead, sufficient thinning may allow other physical mechanisms to do so. Comparisons to an existing experiment and suggestions for measurements are given.