Gallery: Beautiful Photos Show the Bizarre Behavior of Liquids

  • Image may contain Indoors and Room
    Villermaux, Pistre & Lhuissier, Journ. of Fluid Mech., 2013, Vol 730, pp 607-625 ©Cambridge Univ Press
    01

    Villermaux13Cover13

    At the edge of a 14-cm-diameter round sheet of viscous liquid, the liquid is ejected as long threads that then fragment into drops.
  • Image may contain Cushion and Pillow
    M. VAN LIMBEEK, et. al., Physics of Fluids 25, 091102 (2013). ©AIP Publishing LLC.
    02

    Montage1

    A water drop immersed in a pool of sunflower oil at 190°C becomes superheated and boils in an explosive fashion (sequence goes from left to right, top to bottom). The drop vaporizes and forms a large bubble of water vapor that oscillates and fragments into smaller bubbles.
  • Image may contain Plant
    Courtesy of H. Lhuissier and E. Villermaux
    03

    9a-2-1000px1-1-1w

    A bursting bubble with a radius of 9 mm.
  • Image may contain Lamp and Indoors
    H. Lhuissier & E. Villermaux, Journal of Fluid Mech., 2012, Vol 693, pp 508-540 ©Cambridge Univ. Press
    04

    Frag

    A jet of water streaming against a solid object can also create a bell-shaped surface. Here, air pressure inside the bell deflects the liquid, causing the bell to collapse.
  • A belowsurface view of a water drop falling into a pool of silicone oil. Each row shows the drop falling at a different...
    H. Lhuissier, C. Sun, A. Prosperetti, & D. Lohse, Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 264503-(5) 2013. © APS
    05

    Montage4

    A below-surface view of a water drop falling into a pool of silicone oil. Each row shows the drop falling at a different speed, increasing from top to bottom. The drop forms a crater in the oil, which appears as a dark shape, before continuing downward.
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    H. Lhuissier & E. Villermaux, Journal of Fluid Mech, 2012, Vol 693, pp 508-540 © Cambridge Univ Press
    06

    Flap21

    A thin sheet of water, which is created by shooting a jet on a small solid surface, flaps around like a flag in the wind.
  • Image may contain Glass Drink Alcohol Beverage Animal Bird Goblet Cocktail Wine Glass and Wine
    H. Lhuissier, B. Néel, & L. Limat, Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 194502-(5) 2014. Copyright (2014) by APS.
    07

    Lhuissier21

    When a jet of viscoelastic fluid—liquids such as gels and pastes—hits a wall, it forms five wings that protrude outward.
  • An edgeon view of a soap film thats punctured on the left side. As the film recedes toward the right in this timelapse...
    H. Lhuissier and E. Villermaux, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 054501-(4) 2009. Copyright (2014) by APS
    08

    Flaplas21

    An edge-on view of a soap film that’s punctured on the left side. As the film recedes toward the right in this time-lapse series, it flaps in the air like a flag.
  • Image may contain Chain
    Gordillo, Lhuissier & Villermaux, Jour. of Fluid Mech., 2014, Vol 754, pp R1-R11 ©Cambridge Univ. Press
    09

    Fig3a

    When you shoot a jet of water against a small disk, the liquid streams outward, forming a radial sheet. This sequence shows water being ejected from the edge of such a sheet in the form of jets and drops.
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    M. VAN LIMBEEK, et. al., Physics of Fluids 25, 091102 (2013). ©AIP Publishing LLC.
    10

    Trous21

    Holes in a sheet of water grow and merge. When the rims of those holes join, they form filaments that break up into droplets.
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