Compressible effects in drops impacted by a laser pulse
The impact of a laser pulse onto a liquid droplet induces strong deformation and propulsion of the droplet. Here, we aim to understand the droplet dynamics by performing lattice-Boltzmann simulations and doing a theoretical analysis. In the simulations, we model the laser impact as a pressure pulse on the droplet surface. The lattice-Boltzmann method provides an ideal framework to do this, as it allows multiphase fluids where we can study: phase change, bubble nucleation and compressibility effects (e.g. shock waves traveling inside the drop) induced by the pressure pulse. On the theoretical side, we want to get key insight in how the pressure-waves propagate and how velocity-fields build up as function of different pressure conditions on the boundary of the droplet.