PMID 21231307
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.214301
WoS: 000284308500011
170 Citations
Résumé:

We report observation of Plateau instability in a thin filament of solid gel wit h a very small elastic modulus. A longitudinal undulation of the surface of the cylinder reduces its area thereby triggering capillary instability, but is count erbalanced by elastic forces following the deformation. This competition leads t o a nontrivial instability threshold for a solid cylinder. The ratio of surface tension to elastic modulus defines a characteristic length scale. The onset of l inear instability is when the radius of the cylinder is one sixth of this length scale, in agreement with theory presented here.