Rahman MR, Shen L, Ewen JP, Collard B, Heyes DM, Dini D, Smith ER. Non-equilibrium molecular simulations of thin film rupture.
J Chem Phys 2023;
158:2882242. [PMID:
37093990 DOI:
10.1063/5.0149974]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The retraction of thin films, as described by the Taylor-Culick (TC) theory, is subject to widespread debate, particularly for films at the nanoscale. We use non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations to explore the validity of the assumptions used in continuum models by tracking the evolution of holes in a film. By deriving a new mathematical form for the surface shape and considering a locally varying surface tension at the front of the retracting film, we reconcile the original theory with our simulation to recover a corrected TC speed valid at the nanoscale.
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