A Universal Constitutive Relation for Static Droplet Retention
Under applied forcing, static droplet retention is accompanied by contact angle asymmetry, with unequal apparent contact angles on opposite sides. Yet, the relation between the asymmetry and forcing lacks a common constitutive basis. Here, we show that the asymmetry emerges from minimizing the forcing-dependent free energy. The response of the asymmetry to forcing defines a susceptibility whose zero-forcing value yields a universal constitutive relation between the asymmetry and forcing. The constitutive relation is quantitatively validated across liquids, volumes, and forcing levels.
physics.flu-dyn↗