1202.2157 (J. C. Burton et al.)

The Geometry of the Vapor Layer Under a Leidenfrost Drop    [PDF]

J. C. Burton, A. L. Sharpe, R. C. A. van der Veen, A. Franco, S. R. Nagel

In the Leidenfrost effect, liquid drops deposited on a hot surface levitate
on a thin vapor cushion fed by evaporation of the liquid. This vapor layer
forms a concave depression in the drop interface. Using laser-light
interference coupled to high-speed imaging, we measured the radius, curvature,
and height of the vapor pocket, as well as non-axisymmetric fluctuations of the
interface for water drops at different temperatures. The geometry of the vapor
pocket depends primarily on the drop size and not on the substrate temperature.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1202.2157