Aging of an antibubble

Antibubbles are unusual fluid objects consisting of a thin spherical air shell surrounding a liquid globule. Here we study and analyze the aging of these inverted bubbles. The lifetime is found to be distributed along an exponential law. Moreover, the breakdown of the air film is observed to be the analogue of dewetting by spinodal decomposition. We interpret the long lifetime of the antibubbles as resulting from the slow drainage of the air until the film reaches a critical thickness. Then, van der Waals forces act, leading to the collapse of the film.