Jet Size Prediction in Compound Multiphase Bubble Bursting

Abstract: The Worthington jets from bursting bubbles at a gas-liquid interface can break up into small droplets, aerosolizing chemical and biological substances into the atmosphere and impacting both global climate and public health. Despite their importance in contaminant transport, the influence of adsorbed contaminants on bubble-bursting jet dynamics remains poorly understood. Here, we document how an immiscible compound contaminant layer impacts the jet radius, which deviates from the expected jetting dynamics produced by clean bubble bursting. We rationalize the deviation of the jet radius by characterizing the propagation of the capillary waves at the air-oil-water interface. We develop a linearized wave damping model based on the understanding of the oil thickness profile and the wave dispersion, and we propose a revised Ohnesorge number with a scaling relation that captures the experimental results reasonably well across a wide range of oil layer thicknesses and viscosities. Our work not only advances the fundamental understanding of bubble bursting jets but also offers valuable insights for predicting aerosol size distributions and modeling the transport of airborne contaminants in realistic environmental scenarios.