Surfactant effects on gravity-capillary waves.
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| Title: | Surfactant effects on gravity-capillary waves. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Yang, Rui1 ruiyang@princeton.edu, Liu, Zehua1, Farsoiya, Palas Kumar2, Popinet, Stéphane3, Deike, Luc1,4 ldeike@princeton.edu |
| Source: | Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 3/25/2026, Vol. 1031, p1-29. 29p. |
| Subjects: | Surface active agents, Capillary waves, Energy dissipation, Surface tension, Theory of wave motion, Computer simulation, Vortex motion |
| Abstract: | Surfactants at the air-sea interface are known to alter surface wave dynamics by modifying surface tension and Marangoni stresses. In this study, we perform two-dimensional direct numerical simulations of gravity-capillary waves with insoluble surfactants using a coupled phase field and volume-of-fluid method. We consider a nonlinear equation of state for surface tension and resolve Marangoni stresses induced by surfactant concentration gradients. We explore a broad parameter space characterised by initial wave steepness ak, Bond number Bo (comparing gravity and surface tension), Reynolds number Re (comparing inertia and viscosity), and the importance of surfactant concentration and strength of the gradient, characterised by a surfactant parameter β. We analyse the impact of surfactants on wave patterns, surface roughness, wave breaking, energy dissipation and surface vorticity. Our results reveal a non-monotonic dependence of wave shape, roughness, vorticity and energy dissipation on β, which is found to be governed by Marangoni effects that peak at intermediate surfactant concentrations. Wave regime transition at high Bo is governed by an effective Bo, which accounts for the reduction in surface tension induced by surfactants. We further introduce a rescaled parameter Bo Re-1/2 (ak)-1 based on force balance, which collapses the transition boundaries across different Re. These findings provide a systematic understanding of surfactant-modulated wave dynamics for both laboratory and geophysical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Fluid Mechanics is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 192858586 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Surfactant effects on gravity-capillary waves. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yang%2C+Rui%22">Yang, Rui</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> ruiyang@princeton.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Liu%2C+Zehua%22">Liu, Zehua</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Farsoiya%2C+Palas+Kumar%22">Farsoiya, Palas Kumar</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Popinet%2C+Stéphane%22">Popinet, Stéphane</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Deike%2C+Luc%22">Deike, Luc</searchLink><relatesTo>1,4</relatesTo><i> ldeike@princeton.edu</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Fluid+Mechanics%22">Journal of Fluid Mechanics</searchLink>. 3/25/2026, Vol. 1031, p1-29. 29p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Surface+active+agents%22">Surface active agents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Capillary+waves%22">Capillary waves</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Energy+dissipation%22">Energy dissipation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Surface+tension%22">Surface tension</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Theory+of+wave+motion%22">Theory of wave motion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computer+simulation%22">Computer simulation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vortex+motion%22">Vortex motion</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Surfactants at the air-sea interface are known to alter surface wave dynamics by modifying surface tension and Marangoni stresses. In this study, we perform two-dimensional direct numerical simulations of gravity-capillary waves with insoluble surfactants using a coupled phase field and volume-of-fluid method. We consider a nonlinear equation of state for surface tension and resolve Marangoni stresses induced by surfactant concentration gradients. We explore a broad parameter space characterised by initial wave steepness ak, Bond number Bo (comparing gravity and surface tension), Reynolds number Re (comparing inertia and viscosity), and the importance of surfactant concentration and strength of the gradient, characterised by a surfactant parameter β. We analyse the impact of surfactants on wave patterns, surface roughness, wave breaking, energy dissipation and surface vorticity. Our results reveal a non-monotonic dependence of wave shape, roughness, vorticity and energy dissipation on β, which is found to be governed by Marangoni effects that peak at intermediate surfactant concentrations. Wave regime transition at high Bo is governed by an effective Bo, which accounts for the reduction in surface tension induced by surfactants. We further introduce a rescaled parameter Bo Re-1/2 (ak)-1 based on force balance, which collapses the transition boundaries across different Re. These findings provide a systematic understanding of surfactant-modulated wave dynamics for both laboratory and geophysical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Fluid Mechanics is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1017/jfm.2026.11260 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 29 StartPage: 1 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Surface active agents Type: general – SubjectFull: Capillary waves Type: general – SubjectFull: Energy dissipation Type: general – SubjectFull: Surface tension Type: general – SubjectFull: Theory of wave motion Type: general – SubjectFull: Computer simulation Type: general – SubjectFull: Vortex motion Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Surfactant effects on gravity-capillary waves. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Yang, Rui – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Liu, Zehua – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Farsoiya, Palas Kumar – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Popinet, Stéphane – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Deike, Luc IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 25 M: 03 Text: 3/25/2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 00221120 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 1031 Titles: – TitleFull: Journal of Fluid Mechanics Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
