Abstract

The natural phenomenon of water vapor condensing on a cold surface is known as breath figures (BFs). The growth process of BFs on solid and fluid surfaces has been thoroughly investigated to understand the mechanism of BFs. It is fascinating that ordered BFs can be created on volatile fluid surfaces, highlighting the significant influence of the surface on BF growth. Currently, however, the growth of ordered BFs remains unclear and ambiguous. Herein, an optical microscope was used to observe in situ the growth process of BFs on pure chloroform fluid surface under static humid conditions. The details of the obtained images were analyzed in combination with image processing. It is found that BFs are highly ordered on the pure chloroform fluid surface. The dynamics of BF growth on the volatile fluid surface presented two power-law growth exponents of 1.40 during the intermediate stage and 0.22 during the late stage. Furthermore, BFs on the chloroform surface demonstrate rapid movement throughout the growth process, indicating a strong convection current within the volatile fluid. The obtained results confirm the ordered BFs on the surface of chloroform fluid, aiding in the clarification of the mechanism behind ordered BFs on volatile fluid surfaces.