A multi-scale study of moving contact-lines

A continuum-atomistic multi-scale method has been developed to study moving contact-lines based on our previous hybrid method (X. B. Nie et al, JFM 2004 V. 500, pp 55-64, Phys. Fluids 2004, V. 16, pp 3579-3591.). A small inner region near the contact-line is simulated by molecular dynamics and the large remaining region is described using the Navier-Stokes equations with no-slip boundary conditions. Results are presented for two immiscible fluids confined in a channel between two rigid substrates. The dependence of contact angle on capillary number, channel width, and distance from contact line have been studied and compared with analytic and numerical solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations supplemented with heuristic models.