---
OA_place: publisher
OA_type: hybrid
PlanS_conform: '1'
_id: '21982'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: A floating Leidenfrost droplet exhibits curvature inversion of its underside,
    due to the balance of vapor pressure and surface tension. Using interferometric
    imaging, we find different behavior for a levitated hydrogel sphere. Curvature
    inversion is observed briefly just after deposition, but quickly gives way to
    a steady state with no inversion. We show the essential role of vaporization in
    shaping the underbelly of the hydrogel, where changes due to direct mass loss
    are more significant than the balance of vapor pressure and elastic forces.
acknowledged_ssus:
- _id: M-Shop
- _id: ScienComp
acknowledgement: This research was supported by the Scientific Service Units of The
  Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) through resources provided by
  the Miba Machine Shop and the Scientific Computing Facility. J.B. acknowledges funding
  from the European Union's Horizon research and innovation programme under the Marie
  Sklodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No. 101106500.
article_number: L053502
article_processing_charge: Yes (via OA deal)
article_type: letter_note
arxiv: 1
author:
- first_name: Vicente L
  full_name: Diaz Melian, Vicente L
  id: b6798902-eea0-11ea-9cbc-a8e14286c631
  last_name: Diaz Melian
- first_name: Isaac C
  full_name: Lenton, Isaac C
  id: a550210f-223c-11ec-8182-e2d45e817efb
  last_name: Lenton
  orcid: 0000-0002-5010-6984
- first_name: Jack
  full_name: Binysh, Jack
  last_name: Binysh
- first_name: Anton
  full_name: Souslov, Anton
  last_name: Souslov
- first_name: Scott R
  full_name: Waitukaitis, Scott R
  id: 3A1FFC16-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Waitukaitis
  orcid: 0000-0002-2299-3176
citation:
  ama: Diaz Melian VL, Lenton IC, Binysh J, Souslov A, Waitukaitis SR. Geometry of
    the vapor layer under a Leidenfrost hydrogel sphere. <i>Physical Review E</i>.
    2026;113(5). doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/m7gr-2t6j">10.1103/m7gr-2t6j</a>
  apa: Diaz Melian, V. L., Lenton, I. C., Binysh, J., Souslov, A., &#38; Waitukaitis,
    S. R. (2026). Geometry of the vapor layer under a Leidenfrost hydrogel sphere.
    <i>Physical Review E</i>. American Physical Society. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/m7gr-2t6j">https://doi.org/10.1103/m7gr-2t6j</a>
  chicago: Diaz Melian, Vicente L, Isaac C Lenton, Jack Binysh, Anton Souslov, and
    Scott R Waitukaitis. “Geometry of the Vapor Layer under a Leidenfrost Hydrogel
    Sphere.” <i>Physical Review E</i>. American Physical Society, 2026. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/m7gr-2t6j">https://doi.org/10.1103/m7gr-2t6j</a>.
  ieee: V. L. Diaz Melian, I. C. Lenton, J. Binysh, A. Souslov, and S. R. Waitukaitis,
    “Geometry of the vapor layer under a Leidenfrost hydrogel sphere,” <i>Physical
    Review E</i>, vol. 113, no. 5. American Physical Society, 2026.
  ista: Diaz Melian VL, Lenton IC, Binysh J, Souslov A, Waitukaitis SR. 2026. Geometry
    of the vapor layer under a Leidenfrost hydrogel sphere. Physical Review E. 113(5),
    L053502.
  mla: Diaz Melian, Vicente L., et al. “Geometry of the Vapor Layer under a Leidenfrost
    Hydrogel Sphere.” <i>Physical Review E</i>, vol. 113, no. 5, L053502, American
    Physical Society, 2026, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/m7gr-2t6j">10.1103/m7gr-2t6j</a>.
  short: V.L. Diaz Melian, I.C. Lenton, J. Binysh, A. Souslov, S.R. Waitukaitis, Physical
    Review E 113 (2026).
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2026-06-10T07:36:41Z
date_published: 2026-05-14T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-06-16T11:24:18Z
day: '14'
ddc:
- '530'
department:
- _id: ScWa
- _id: GradSch
doi: 10.1103/m7gr-2t6j
external_id:
  arxiv:
  - '2507.04982'
file:
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  creator: dernst
  date_created: 2026-06-16T11:21:53Z
  date_updated: 2026-06-16T11:21:53Z
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file_date_updated: 2026-06-16T11:21:53Z
fulldoi: https://doi.org/10.1103/m7gr-2t6j
has_accepted_license: '1'
intvolume: '       113'
issue: '5'
language:
- iso: eng
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
month: '05'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
publication: Physical Review E
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 2470-0053
  issn:
  - 2470-0045
publication_status: published
publisher: American Physical Society
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Geometry of the vapor layer under a Leidenfrost hydrogel sphere
tmp:
  image: /images/cc_by.png
  legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
  name: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0)
  short: CC BY (4.0)
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 113
year: '2026'
...