Strain-induced yielding in bubble clusters

We study how shearing clusters of two or four bubbles induces bubble separation or topological rearrangement. The critical deformation at which this yielding occurs is measured as a function of shear rate, liquid composition, and liquid content in the cluster. We establish a geometrical yield criterion in the quasistatic case on the basis of these experimental data as well as simulations. In the dynamic regime, the deformation where the cluster yields increases with the strain rate, and we derive a scaling law describing this phenomenon based on the dynamical inertial rupture of the liquid meniscus linking the two bubbles. Our experiments show that the same scaling law applies to two- and four-bubble clusters.