Shape and Stability of a Pendant Nanodrop.

Abstract

The shape and stability of a pendant nanodrop attached to a smooth or rough solid surface are considered on the basis of the microscopic density functional theory in the presence of a strong external force normal to the solid surface. The drop profile, width, and height of the drop and the contact angle that a nanodrop makes with the solid surface are calculated and some interesting features of the drop shape and stability are identified. In particular, a linear relationship between the height of the drop and the contact angle, as well as one between the critical external force at which the drop loses its stability and the strength of the fluid-solid interaction, was found. In some cases, a fixed point on the drop profile was observed whose spacial location does not depend on the value of external force. It is also argued that the Bond number that is a characteristic of the pendant macroscopic drop is not applicable to nanodrops.