COALESCENCE AND FRAGMENTATION OF COLLIDING MERCURY DROPS

Coalescence and fragmentation of equal and unequal liquid-drop pairs a re studied using a new experimental technique in which mercury drops c ollide while sliding on a horizontal glass surface. The limits for coa lescence measured as a function of the incident relative velocity and impact parameter are found to be similar to what has been reported for free-moving drops of other liquids, while new correlations are found to occur among the number, size, speed and angular distribution of fra gmentation residues. The predictions of various models, including a dy namic theory originally developed for nuclear reactions, and specifica lly modified by us for macroscopic applications, are compared with the observations.