Topological Transitions and Singularities in Fluids: The Life and Death of a Drop

by Sidney R. Nagel (University of Chicago, U.S.A.)

Thursday 18 Oct 2007, 08:00 → 18:00 Europe/Stockholm

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.