Wetting States of Two-Dimensional Drops under Gravity

Abstract: An analytical model is proposed for the Young-Laplace equation of two-dimensional (2D) drops under gravity. Inspired by the pioneering work of Landau & Lifshitz (1987), we derive analytical expressions of the profile of drops on flat surfaces, for arbitrary contact angles and drop volume. We then extend our theory for drops on inclined surfaces and reveal that the contact line plays a key role on the wetting state of the drops: (1) when the contact line is completely pinning, the advancing and receding contact angles and the shape of the drop can be uniquely determined by the predefined droplet volume, sliding angle and contact area, which does not rely on the Young contact angle; (2) when the drop has a movable contact line, it would achieve a wetting state with a minimum free energy resulting from the competition between the surface tension and gravity. Our theory is in excellent agreement with numerical results.