The rewetting of an inclined solid surface by a liquid

Abstract

When a thin layer of liquid flowing down an inclined solid surface becomes unstable, a dry region may appear. It is of general engineering interest to identify the parameters which control the ability of the liquid to rewet the solid so that a uniform film of liquid can be reestablished. The role played by the contact angle in the rewetting process is investigated by performing a specific set of experiments of the type introduced by Huppert [(Nature 300, 427 (1982)]. It is found that a small static advancing contact angle promotes rewetting, while a large value of the angle does not.