Influence of the liquid layer thickness on the growth of droplets controlled by the thermal action of laser radiation

We have studied the growth of droplets in a thin layer of aqueous ethanol solution under conditions of the solutocapillary convective flow controlled by a laser beam. It is established that, with increasing layer thickness, the time necessary for the formation of a droplet separated from the layer increases, while the time required for the droplet to reach its maximum possible diameter (determined by the criteria of stability) decreases. In the initial stage of droplet formation, the diameter exhibits some decrease related to a short-term increase in the solvent evaporation rate.