Tying smoke rings in a knot
Nature Physics
March 4, 2013
Structures similar to smoke rings that are linked and twisted are reported for the first time online this week in Nature Physics.
Mixing or sudden turbulence in a fluid can induce a rotational motion known as a vortex. A common example of this is the ring exhaled by a smoker, which is a vortex folded back on itself to create a closed loop. Understanding the fluid dynamics of such vortices helps meteorologists predict unusual atmospheric effects, for instance. However, laboratory-based studies have been limited only to very simple rings. Dustin Kleckner and William Irvine now create and image linked rings and vortices tied into knots using a 3D-printed hydrofoil passing through water.
“Such vortices appear in a surprisingly large range of phenomena including superconductors, superfluids and the plasmas found in the solar corona and the Earth’s magnetosphere,” says Daniel Lathrop in an accompanying News and Views article. The ability to recreate intricate vortices therefore enables modelling of a diverse range of real-world systems.
doi: 10.1038/nphys2560
Research highlights
-
Jul 6
Biotechnology: Mice cloned from freeze-dried somatic cellsNature Communications
-
Jul 4
Particle physics: A decade of Higgs boson researchNature
-
Jul 1
Space health: The path of most resistance could help limit bone loss during spaceflightScientific Reports
-
Jun 30
Evolution: Hawks learn on the fly to swoop up before perchingNature
-
Jun 28
Astronomy: Hydrogen- and helium-rich exoplanets may provide habitable conditions for billions of yearsNature Astronomy
-
Jun 24
Sport science: New wearable sensor to measure neck strain may detect potential concussionScientific Reports