Dynamic surface stress field of the pure liquid–vapor interface subjected to the cyclic loads

Abstract

We demonstrate a methodology for computationally investigating the mechanical response of a pure molten lead surface system to the lateral mechanical cyclic loads and try to answer the following question: how does the dynamically driven liquid surface system follow the classical physics of the elastic-driven oscillation? The steady-state oscillation of the dynamic surface tension (or excess stress) under cyclic load, including the excitation of high-frequency vibration mode at different driving frequencies and amplitudes, was compared with the classical theory of a single-body driven damped oscillator. Under the highest studied frequency (50 GHz) and amplitude (5%) of the load, the increase of in (mean value) dynamic surface tension could reach ∼5%. The peak and trough values of the instantaneous dynamic surface tension could reach (up to) 40% increase and (up to) 20% decrease compared to the equilibrium surface tension, respectively. The extracted generalized natural frequencies seem to be intimately related to the intrinsic timescales of the atomic temporal–spatial correlation functions of the liquids both in the bulk region and in the outermost surface layers. These insights uncovered could be helpful for quantitative manipulation of the liquid surface using ultrafast shockwaves or laser pulses.