Repeated formation of fluid threads in breakup of a surfactant-covered jet.

Breakup of thin threads is widely observed in nature and technology. As a surfactant-covered liquid jet approaches breakup, its profile consists of a periodic pattern of drops connected by thin threads. Near the locations where the threads join the drops, simulations show that a series of thinner threads arise as the jet breaks. That threads can continue to form repeatedly without addition of noise when surfactants are present is unexpected based on earlier studies of surfactant-free systems. Thinning dynamics of successive threads are shown to be self-similar and approach Eggers's universal solution for clean interfaces.