Self-similar rupture of thin films of power-law fluid

Abstract

Models that describe Newtonian liquid films evolving due to the competing effects of surface tension and attractive intermolecular or van der Waals forces are known to rupture in finite time in a self-similar manner. We extend the computation of similarity solutions to non-Newtonian power-law liquid films. The resulting bifurcation diagram, indexed by power law exponent $n$, has a highly nontrivial structure with branches merging via a snaking bifurcation around $n=1$. A countably infinite number of solutions are also found in the extreme shear-thinning ($n\to 0$) limit, in which similarity solutions possess an exponentially small inner region. Numerical simulations of the time-dependent model are shown to be attracted to the single primary branch of similarity solutions. The asymptotic structure of solutions in the small $n$ limit is also determined.