Approximating annular capillary surfaces with equal contact angles (Q600644)

The authors consider the capillary problem over an annular domain. It is assumed that the contact angles along the inner and the outer boundary are equal, and that the gravity is positive and directed downwards. Since the capillary surface is rotationally symmetric, the problem is governed by a boundary value problem for an ordinary differential equation. Set \(Nu=(1/r)(ru'(r)/\sqrt{1+u'(r)^2})'\), then it is shown that the iteration procedure \(Nu_{n+1}=Bu_n\), where \(B\) is a positive constant, and \(u_n\) satisfies the capillary boundary condition and a volume constraint, leads to a solution of the capillary problem. The proof is mainly based on a maximum principle related to capillary surfaces.