Rivulet dynamics at isothermal film flow

Averaged fields of thickness of an isothermal vertically flowing liquid film, obtained by the laserinduced fluorescence method, have been analyzed. The chosen minimum averaging time interval, at which the wave motion is completely averaged, allows one to observe rivulet dynamics in a transverse direction. It is found that short-lived rivulets, which are chains of no less than five to eight waves with similar transverse coordinates, are dominant structures on the film surface at Reynolds number Re > 50.