Fluctuating hydrodynamics of nanoscale liquid ligaments and thin-films

The effects of thermal fluctuations on nanoscale flows are described using the framework of fluctuating hydrodynamics. We employ two types of stochastic lubrication equations (SLEs), derived from the fundamental equations of fluctuating hydrodynamics, to investigate fluctuation-driven dynamics in nanoscale liquid ligaments and films. Theoretical solutions of the linearized SLEs are developed to analyze the spectra of interface instabilities, which are found to be enhanced by thermal fluctuations. Additionally, the SLEs are solved numerically to capture the nonlinear behaviors. Both the theoretical and numerical results are validated against molecular dynamics simulations.