Enhanced Downward Acceleration of a Bouncing Droplet Due to the Lubrication Force

We explore the dynamics of moderately viscous (50-100 cSt) silicone oil drops bouncing on a vertically vibrated oil bath. When the driving acceleration of the bath is larger than a threshold value, drops can bounce indefinitely due to the presence of a thin air layer separating the drop from the bath. We present experimental evidence that the drop can temporarily ``stick'' to the oil bath during the rebound process causing it to be pulled downward briefly with the downward-accelerating bath. Thus, for a small time interval during each bounce, the drop's downward acceleration can exceed that of gravitational free-fall. A simple model incorporating the lubrication force between the drop and the bath, allowing for the deformation of the latter, is developed and found to match the observed dynamics closely.