Dec 2, 2015 1:41 PM

Gallery: Get Lost in These Trippy Fluid Dynamics GIFs

Alexise Duchesne et al/American Physics Society
01
tightrope-dancer-bubbles
Vapor bubbles form along a heated wire. These clusters with bubbles bouncing between them form when the ratio between the wire’s diameter and temperature reach a sweet spot. This video won a Milton van Dyke award.
Daniel M. Harris et al/American Physical Society
02
merger-of-bubble
A soap bubble placed on top of a soapy film pops, leaving a bubble about half the original’s size. This video won a Milton van Dyke award.

Jörn Callies/American Physical Society
03
Baroclinic-Instability
This is a computational simulation of the ocean’s surface. It would be roughly 600 miles per side, and 300 feet deep. Cold air above makes the surface water more dense. It sinks, which causes roiling (technically called “convection”).
Moritz Sieber, et al/American Physical Society
04
lagrangian-coherent
Fluids pushed through this specially designed chamber naturally oscillate as they exit. This video won a Gallery of Fluid Motion Award.

P.T. Brun et al/American Physical Society
05
molton-glass
Molten glass poured from a nozzle forms repeating patterns depending on the speed the nozzle moves, and the speed at which glass moves through the nozzle.
M. Saad Bhamla et al/American Physical Society
06
Placing-Marangoni
Marangoni flows are dynamics that happen on a fluid’s surface. Usually these colors and patterns collapse, but this video’s authors managed to stabilize them by controlling how fast a soap bubble rose through a fluid. This video won a Milton van Dyke Award.

Dan Harris et al/American Physical Society
07
Shedding-Light
Sound waves cause droplets to bounce atop an oily surface. Light reflected from a filtered lamp makes the micrometer-high waves clearly visible. The researchers are using this method to show how certain quantum particles behave.
Yan Ren et al/American Physical Society
08
turning-on-dime
Hummingbirds fly using unsteady vortex dynamics rather than aerodynamic lift. This visualization shows the wake coming of the wings during while the bird makes a turn. This video won a Gallery of Fluid Motion Award.

Silvestre Roberto Gonzalez-Avila et al/American Physical Society
09
InstabilitiesAndFragmentation
This gif shows ripples on a small droplet, an example of stable interference. It looks way better if you have a pair of 3D glasses. This video won a Gallery of Fluid Motion Award.

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