Bubble dynamics in time-periodic straining flows

The dynamics and breakup of a bubble in an axisymmetric, time-periodic straining flow has been investigated via analysis of an approximate dynamic model and also by time-dependent numerical solutions of the full fluid mechanics problem. The analyses reveal that in the neighbourhood of a stable steady solution, an O(ϵ1/3) time-dependent change of bubble shape can be obtained from an O(ε) resonant forcing. Furthermore, the probability of bubble breakup at subcritical Weber numbers can be maximized by choosing an optimal forcing frequency for a fixed forcing amplitude.