Dynamics of Cryogenic Jets: Non-Rayleigh Breakup and Onset of Nonaxisymmetric Motions

We report development of generators for periodic, satellite-free fluxes of monodisperse drops with diameters down to $10\mu \mathrm{m}$ from cryogenic liquids such as ${\mathrm{H}}_2$, ${\mathrm{N}}_2$, Ar, and Xe (and, as a reference fluid, water). While the break up of water jets can be described well by Rayleigh’s linear theory, we find jet regimes for ${\mathrm{H}}_2$ and ${\mathrm{N}}_2$ which reveal deviations from this behavior. Thus, Rayleigh’s theory is inappropriate for thin jets that exchange energy and/or mass with the surrounding medium. Moreover, at high evaporation rates, the axial symmetry of the dynamics is lost. When the drops pass into vacuum, frozen pellets form due to surface evaporation. The narrow width of the pellet flux paves the way towards various industrial and scientific applications.