Molecular simulations of dewetting

We have studied the breakup and subsequent fluid flow in very thin films of partially wetting liquid on solid substrates, using molecular dynamics sim ulations. The liquid is made of short chain molecules interacting with Lenn ard-Jones interactions, and the solid is modeled as a clean crystal lattice whose atoms have thermal oscillations. Films below a critical thickness ar e found to exhibit a spontaneous spinodal-like instability leading to dry p atches, as predicted theoretically and observed in some experiments. Liquid withdrawing from a dry patch collects in a moving rim whose fluid dynamics is only partially in agreement with earlier predictions.