Collapse of catenoid-shaped smectic films

We report an experimental study of the collapse dynamics of smectic catenoids. It is shown that in dependence on the thickness of the smectic films, different rupture scenarios take place. The change of the film thickness during the collapse process is monitored using an interference technique. We separate influences of inertia and viscosity of the smectic film material and inertia and viscosity of the air enclosed by the catenoid by performing experiments at different pressures. At low pressure, the collapse of thin (submicrometer) membranes is considerably accelerated, while for thick (several micrometers) membranes, the dynamics is practically unchanged.