  The experimental time-lapse images of the breakup phenomenon of a charged
droplet (diameter ~100-300 micro-m) levitated in an electrodynamic (ED) balance
is reported. During the breakup process, a levitated charged droplet undergoes
evaporation leading to a reduction in droplet size and increase in the
corresponding surface charge density. As the surface charge density reaches to
a critical value, known as the Rayleigh limit, the droplet undergoes breakup by
forming a jet which further ejects highly charged progeny droplets. All the
successive events of the droplet breakup process such as drop deformation,
breakup, and relaxation of the drop back to spherical shape after ejection of
progeny droplets have been recorded using the high-speed camera at 1.3 hundred
thousand frames per second. The droplet is observed to eject 3-5 progeny
droplets from a jet indicating end pinching mode of breakup. The jet is then
observed to relax back after ejecting 31% of the total charge and ~3\% of the
total mass. A suitable theory is provided to supplement the experimental
observations, and a reasonable agreement is observed. Additionally, the theory
is extended for the prediction of total mass loss and the entire lifetime of a
charged droplet.
