Ionic Strength and pH as Control Parameters for Spontaneous Surface Oscillations

Abstract

A system far from equilibrium, where the surfactant transfer from a small drop located in the aqueous bulk to the air-water interface results in spontaneous nonlinear oscillations of surface tension, is theoretically and experimentally considered. The oscillations in this system are the result of periodically arising and terminating Marangoni instability. The surfactant under consideration is octanoic acid, the dissociated form of which is much less surface-active than the protonated form. Numerical simulations show how the system behavior can be controlled by changes in pH and ionic strength of the aqueous phase. The results of numerical simulations are in good agreement with experimental data.