Simulating the interaction between a descending super-quadric solid object and a soap film

Abstract

We investigate the interaction that occurs between a light solid object and a horizontal soap film of a ‘bamboo’ foam contained in a cylindrical tube. We vary the shape of the descending object from a sphere to a cube by changing a single shape parameter. We investigate in detail how the soap film deforms and determine the forces that the film exerts on the object, depending on the radius of the cylindrical tube, and the shape, orientation and position of the object. We show that a cubic particle in a particular orientation experiences the largest drag force, and that this orientation is also the most likely outcome of dropping a cube from an arbitrary orientation through a bamboo foam.