Pulsating cone-jets occur in a variety of electrostatic spraying and printing systems. This paper reports an experimental study of the pulsation frequency to reconcile two models based on a choked jet and an oscillating cone, respectively. The two regimes are demarcated by the ratio of the supplied flow rate (Q _s) to the minimum flow rate (Q _m) required for a steady Taylor cone-jet. When Q _s ≈ Q _m, the electrohydrodynamic flow is choked at the nozzle because the intermittent jet, when on, emits mass at the minimum flow rate; the pulsation frequency in the choked jet regime is proportional to Q _s/Q _m. When Q _s ≈ Q _m, the Taylor cone anchored at the nozzle experiences a capillary oscillation analogous to the Rayleigh mode of a free drop; the pulsation frequency in the oscillating cone regime plateaus to the capillary oscillation frequency, which is independent of Q _s/Q _m.
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