On the dynamics of a free surface of an ideal fluid in a bounded domain in the presence of surface tension

Abstract

We derive a set of equations in conformal variables that describe a potential flow of an ideal two-dimensional inviscid fluid with free surface in a bounded domain. This formulation is free of numerical instabilities present in the equations for the surface elevation and potential derived in Dyachenko et al. (Plasma Phys. Rep. vol. 22 (10), 1996, pp. 829–840) with some restrictions on analyticity relieved, which allows to treat a finite volume of fluid enclosed by a free-moving boundary. We illustrate with a comparison of numerical simulations of the Dirichlet ellipse, an exact solution for a zero surface tension fluid. We demonstrate how the oscillations of the free surface of a unit disc droplet may lead to breaking of one droplet into two when surface tension is present.