title: Colloid science: non-spherical bubbles.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Anand Bala
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Subramaniam
authors.forename: Manouk
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abkarian
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mahadevan
authors.forename: Howard A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Stone