Colloid science: non-spherical bubbles.
Surface tension gives gas bubbles their perfect spherical shape by minimizing the surface area for a given volume. Here we show that gas bubbles and liquid drops can exist in stable, non-spherical shapes if the surface is covered, or 'armoured', with a close-packed monolayer of particles. When two spherical armoured bubbles are fused, jamming of the particles on the interface supports the unequal stresses that are necessary to stabilize a non-spherical shape.
Subramaniam
Anand Bala
AB
Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
Abkarian
Manouk
M
Mahadevan
L
L
Stone
Howard A
HA