Abstract
A new hydrodynamic instability is identified for a nanofluidic flow. The flow analyzed is an electro-osmotic flow of a thin liquid layer, bounded below by a solid substrate and above by an inert gas. The Debye-Hûckel approximation is used for the potential distribution, and the interface with the gas is treated as a moving boundary. The stability analysis shows that the flow is always unstable to small-wavenumber disturbances, and the instability is accompanied by interface deformations. Neutral stability bounds due to the capillary cut-off are presented in parametric spaces for the electric field strength and the Debye length of the electrolyte.
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Joo, S.W. A new hydrodynamic instability in ultra-thin film flows induced by electro-osmosis. J Mech Sci Technol 22, 382–386 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-007-1025-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-007-1025-6