Deformation and Rotation of a Drop in a Uniform Electric Field

Dynamics of drops in electric fields is a challenging problem because drop shape is not given a priori but is governed by the balance of interfacial, viscous and electric stresses. We present a theoretical and experimental study of drop behavior in a uniform electric field. We develop a theoretical analysis based on the Taylor's leaky dielectric model and small drop deformations that quantitatively describes the behavior of drops in DC fields, e.g. deformation and rotation. The theory is compared to experiments. Effects of surfactant are discussed.