The stability of axisymmetric liquid bridges spanning two equal-diameter solid disks subjected to an axial gravity field of arbitrary intensity is analyzed for all possible Uquid volumes. The boundary of the stability region for axisymmetric shapes (considering both axisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric perturbations) have been calculated. It is found that, for sufficiently small Bond numbers, three different unstable modes can appear. If the volume of liquid is decreased from that of an initially stable axisymmetric configuration the bridge either develops an axisymmetric instability (breaking in two drops as already known) or detaches its interface from the disk edges (if the length is smaller than a critical value depending on contact angle), whereas if the volume is increased the unstable mode consists of a nonaxisymmetric deformation. This kind of nonaxisymmetric deformation can also appear by decreasing the volume if the Bond number is large enough. A comparison with other previous partial theoretical analyses is presented, as well as with available experimental results.

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In this paper the influence of an axial microgravity on the minimum volume stability limit of axisymmetric liquid bridges between unequal disks is analyzed both theoretically and experimentally. The results here presented extend the knowledge of the static behaviour of liquid bridges to fluid configurations different from those studied up to now (almost equal disks). Experimental results, obtained by simulating microgravity conditions by the neutral buoyancy technique, are also presented and are shown to be in complete agreement with theoretical ones.

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This paper deals with the influence of axial microgravity on the stability limits of axisymmetric, cylindrical liquid columns held by capillary forces between two circular, concentric, solid disks. A fair number of experiments have been performed and both the maximum and the minimum volume of liquid that a capillary liquid bridge can withstand have been obtained as a function of the geometry of the liquid bridge and of the value of the axial microgravity acting on it. Experimental results are compared with published theoretical predictions made by other investigators and discrepancies between those results criticized.