Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 144503 (2006) [4 pages]Breakup of Air Bubbles in Water: Memory and Breakdown of Cylindrical SymmetryReceived 26 May 2006; published 3 October 2006 Using high-speed video, we have studied air bubbles detaching from an underwater nozzle. As a bubble distorts, it forms a thin neck which develops a singular shape as it pinches off. As in other singularities, the minimum neck radius scales with the time until the breakup. However, because the air-water interfacial tension does not drive the breakup, even small initial cylindrical asymmetries are preserved throughout the collapse. This novel, nonuniversal singularity retains a memory of the nozzle shape, size, and tilt angle. In the last stages, the air appears to tear instead of pinch. © 2006 The American Physical Society URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.144503
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.144503
PACS:
47.55.db, 02.40.Xx, 47.55.df
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