Coalescence preference and droplet size inequality during fluid phase segregation

Abstract

Using molecular dynamics simulations and scaling arguments, we investigate the coalescence preference dynamics of liquid droplets in a phase-segregating off-critical, single-component fluid. It is observed that the preferential distance of the product drop from its larger parent, during a coalescence event, gets smaller for large parent size inequality. The relative coalescence position exhibits a power-law dependence on the parent size ratio with an exponent . This value of q is in strong contrast with earlier reports 2.1 and 5.1 in the literature. The dissimilarity is explained by considering the underlying coalescence mechanisms.