 Van der Waals rupture instability of a viscous sheet

For a viscous sheet of half-thickness $h_0$, attractive disjoining pressure $V/h^3$, and surface tension $\gamma$, a symmetric Fourier mode of dimensionless wavenumber $K=k{h}_0$ has a destabilizing molecular contribution and a stabilizing capillary contribution. The ratiosets the cutoff $K={\Gamma }^{-1/2}$.