2-DIMENSIONAL AND 3-DIMENSIONAL INSTABILITIES AND RUPTURE OF THIN LIQUID-FILMS FALLING ON HEATED INCLINED PLATE

Long-wave instabilities in thin viscous films draining down heated inc lined planes are studied. Linear stability analysis and nonlinear comp utations are performed via a long-wave evolution equation, which descr ibes the effects of mass loss, wave propagation, mean flow, hydrostati c pressure, thermocapillarity, vapor recoil, and mean surface tension. Mean flow, thermocapillarity, and vapor recoil destabilize the flow, and give, respectively, surface-wave, thermocapillary, and evaporative instabilities. Nonlinear flow developments, examined by numerically i ntegrating the evolution equation, show interesting interactions of th e instabilities, including generation of longitudinal patterns.