2010/10/31 by Nathan C. Keim
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Breakup #Bubble #Classical mechanics #Coalescence (physics) #Fluid Dynamics Simulations and Interactions #Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer #Geometry #Lattice Boltzmann Simulation Studies #Liquid bubble #Mechanics #Nozzle #Nuclear physics #Physics #Pinch #Rotational symmetry #Singularity #Symmetry (geometry) #Thermodynamics #physics.flu-dyn
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreve.83.056325
arxiv created 2011/04/05 · openalex publication_date 2011/05/23 · arxiv updated 2013/05/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The pinch-off of an air bubble from an underwater nozzle ends in a singularity with a remarkable sensitivity to a variety of perturbations. I report on experiments that break both the axial (i.e., vertical) and azimuthal symmetry of the singularity formation. The density of the inner gas influences the axial asymmetry of the neck near pinch-off. For denser gases, flow through the neck late in collapse changes the pinch-off dynamics. Gas density is also implicated in the formation of satellite bubbles. The azimuthal shape oscillations described by Schmidt et al. can be initiated by anisotropic boundary conditions in the liquid as well as with an asymmetric nozzle shape. I measure the n=3 oscillatory mode and observe the nonlinear, highly three-dimensional outcomes of pinch-off with large azimuthal perturbations. These are consistent with prior theory.