Under certain conditions, a drop of oil deposited on the surface of a water layer can alternately expand and retract. I'll describe such a behavior observed with a drop of dichloromethane in the presence of a specific surface-active agent. I will explain the main hydrodynamic mechanisms that have been identified in this system, in particular those that contribute to the formation of successive rings of beads at the periphery of the droplet and the fragmentation of these remarkable structures, as well as the development of surface instabilities leading to the appearance of a flower-like pattern around the drop.
Jacques Magnaudet - How the Marangoni effect may change a drop spreading on a liquid into a flower
Professor Jacques Magnaudet is a Senior Research Scientist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and a leading member of the Institut de Mécanique des Fluides de Toulouse (IMFT), France. His research lies at the forefront of fluid mechanics, with internationally recognized contributions to hydrodynamics, turbulence, multiphase flows, and interfacial phenomena.
Over the course of his career, Prof. Magnaudet has made seminal contributions to the understanding of the dynamics of bubbles, drops, and particles in complex flows, including their interactions with turbulence, vortices, walls, stratification, and rotating environments. His work combines theoretical analysis, high-fidelity numerical simulations, and close collaborations with experimental researchers.
He is widely known for developing predictive models and computational tools for two-phase and turbulent flows, including the in-house JADIM simulation code used for direct numerical simulations of complex fluid systems.
Prof. Magnaudet’s work has had broad scientific and engineering impact, with applications ranging from nuclear safety, chemical engineering, and aerospace systems to ocean-atmosphere interactions, drag reduction, volcanology, and environmental flows. His recent studies on bubble path instabilities, stratified turbulence, and interfacial dynamics continue to shape modern research in multiphase fluid mechanics.
Published May 26, 2026 11:37 AM
- Last modified May 26, 2026 11:37 AM