MANNE SIEGBAHN MEMORIAL LECTURE 2007<p>Topological Transitions and Singularities in Fluids: The Life and Death of a
Drop
by
Sidney R. Nagel(University of Chicago)
→
Europe/Stockholm
Oskar Klein Auditorium
Oskar Klein Auditorium
Description
The exhilarating spray from waves crashing into the shore, the
distressing sound of a faucet leaking in the night, and the indispensable
role of bubbles dissolving gas into the oceans are but a few examples of the
ubiquitous presence and profound importance of drop formation and splashing
in our lives. They are also examples of a liquid changing its topology.
Although part of our common everyday experience, these transitions are far
from understood and reveal delightful and profound surprises upon careful
investigation. For example in droplet fission, the fluid forms a neck that
becomes vanishingly thin at the point of breakup. This topological
transition is thus accompanied by a dynamic singularity in which physical
properties such as pressure diverge. Singularities of this sort often
organize the overall dynamical evolution of nonlinear systems. I will first
discuss the role of singularities in the breakup of drops. I will then
discuss the fate of the drop when it falls and eventually splashes against a
solid surface.
