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  • Open Access

Structure of equilibria in a prototypical elastocapillary system

Jasmine Camero1, Erica M. Ward2, and Nicholas D. Brubaker3,*

  • *Contact author: nbrubaker@fullerton.edu
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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 043085 – Published 21 October, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/5bs8-swjq

Abstract

A liquid drop connected to thin pliable object produces a deflection. If the volume of the liquid is sufficiently large, the deflection is modest and its shape is unique. Decreasing the volume from this state, however, leads to one of two possible minimal-volume outcomes, depending on the balance of rigidity and surface tension: The structure either returns to its original unstrained configuration or fully collapses to create a stable, highly stressed shape. Using a simple three-dimensional setup arising from self-assembly applications where the deflection is restricted to a single hinge, we characterize all the possible equilibrium shapes and show that the two possibilities arise as a consequence of a codimension-2 cusp bifurcation.

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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 043085– Published 21 October, 2025
  • Received 5 October 2024
  • Accepted 1 August 2025
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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