TRAVELING-WAVE SOLUTIONS TO THIN-FILM EQUATIONS

Thin films can be effectively described by the lubrication approximation, in which the equation of motion is h(1)+(h(n)h(xxx))(x) =0. Here h is a necessarily positive quantity which represents the height or thickness of the film. Different values of n, especially 1, 2, and 3 correspond to different physical situations. This equation permits solutions in the form of traveling disturbances with a fixed form. If u is the propagation velocity, the resulting equation for the disturbance uh(x)=(hnh(xxx))(x). Here, quantitative and qualitative solutions to the equation are presented. The study has been limited to the intervals in x where the solutions are positive. It is found that transitions between different qualitative behaviors occur at n=3,2,3/2, and 1/2. For example, if u is not zero, solitonlike solutions defined on a finite interval are only possible for n<3.More specific results can be obtained. In the case in which the velocity is zero, solitons occur for n <2. For n =1, the region 3/2 <n is characterized by the presence of advancing-front solutions, with support on (-infinity,t). For n > 1/2, single-minimum solutions diverging at +/- infinity are possible. The generic solution, present for all positive values of n, is a receding front, which diverges at finite x for n <O.