Simulation of a dripping faucet

A dripping faucet system is simulated. We numerically show that a hanging drop generally has many equilibrium shapes but only one among them is stable. By taking a stable equilibrium shape as an initial state, a simulation of dynamics is done, for which we present a new algorithm based on Lagrangian description. The shape of a drop falling from a faucet obtained by the present algorithm agrees quite well with experimental observations. Long-term behavior of the simulation can reproduce period-one, period-two, intermittent and chaotic oscillations widely observed in experiments. Possible routes to chaos are discussed.