On the physics of fizziness: How bubble bursting controls droplets ejection

Bubbles at a free surface usually burst in ejecting myriads of droplets. Focusing on the bubble bursting jet, prelude for these aerosols, we propose a simple scaling for the jet velocity and we unravel experimentally the intricate roles of bubble shape, capillary waves, gravity, and liquid properties. We demonstrate that droplets ejection unexpectedly changes with liquid properties. In particular, using damping action of viscosity, self-similar collapse can be sheltered from capillary ripples and continue closer to the singular limit, therefore producing faster and smaller droplets. These results pave the road to the control of the bursting bubble aerosols. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.