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Directed Motion of drops with Interfacial Contact
We study the motion of small liquid drops on a surface when they are subjected to surface energy gradient, and or an external vibration (stochastic or structured). We study how the non-linear hysteresis rectify the imposed vibration. An interesting case is the random coalescence of condensed drops on a surface that can overcome pinning forces of the type that give rise to contact angle hysteresis. The application of directed motion of these coalesced drops with the aid of surface energy gradient can have useful application in various technologies, including drop fluidic reactors and heat exchangers.
