Analysis of the vaporization process for a nano-scale liquid thread by molecular dynamics simulation

The vaporization process of a nano-scale liquid thread in vapor or vacuum is analyzed by molecular dynamics simulation. The formation of liquid threads is one of the most fundamental and important phenomena during the atomization process. The analyses in the existing literatures for this topic were performed only down to the stage of formation of liquid particles. The present analysis focuses not only on the liquid particle formation but also on its subsequent evolution, which plays an important role in the entire vaporization process. In this study, snapshots of the molecules, evolution of the density field, and evolution of the intermolecular force are analyzed. Finally, the Rayleigh's stability criterion is assessed for its validity in molecular scale. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.