Collapse of a Disordered 2D Column of Frictionless Cohesive Oil Droplets

The spontaneous collapse of a disordered collection of cohesive particles is a phenomenon with implications in many geophysical and industrial processes. In this work, we investigate how disorder affects the collapse dynamics of a 2D column composed of microscopic, frictionless, oil droplets with a well-controlled cohesive interaction. Initially, an unstable column is stabilized by a "retaining wall", and the collapse is triggered by removing this wall. By varying the polydispersity of the droplets, we control the degree of disorder within the column. We quantify the final geometry of the collapsed column as a function of disorder. We observe that increasing the disorder increases the extent the column will spread before reaching its final structure.