A Vortex Particle-on-Mesh Method for Soap Film Simulation

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel physically-based vortex fluid model for films, aimed at accurately simulating cascading vortical structures on deforming thin films. Central to our approach is a novel mechanism decomposing the film's tangential velocity into circulation and dilatation components. These components are then evolved using a hybrid particle-mesh method, enabling the effective reconstruction of three-dimensional tangential velocities and seamlessly integrating surfactant and thickness dynamics into a unified framework. By coupling with its normal component and surface-tension model, our method is particularly adept at depicting complex interactions between in-plane vortices and out-of-plane physical phenomena, such as gravity, surfactant dynamics, and solid boundary, leading to highly realistic simulations of complex thin-film dynamics, achieving an unprecedented level of vortical details and physical realism.