On the Crenation of a Compound Liquid Droplet

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Abstract
The dynamic response of a small, very viscous liquid droplet composed of a core fluid surrounded by a thin fluid shell is examined as additional fluid is deposited into this incompressible shell. At early times, the shell incorporates the extra mass by ruffling its external surface, and a number of crenations form. These protuberances decrease in size and number over a longer time period, and eventually the droplet again becomes spherical, with an increased radius. This sequence of events and its dependence on the rheological properties of the fluids are studied. These effects compare well qualitatively with those obtained using a surface fluid rather than a finite thickness shell of fluid. The possible implications of this fluid model for the surface ruffling effects observed in cell biology are discussed.