title: Breakup of air bubbles in water: memory and breakdown of cylindrical symmetry.
abstract: Using high-speed video, we have studied air bubbles detaching from an underwater nozzle. As a bubble distorts, it forms a thin neck which develops a singular shape as it pinches off. As in other singularities, the minimum neck radius scales with the time until the breakup. However, because the air-water interfacial tension does not drive the breakup, even small initial cylindrical asymmetries are preserved throughout the collapse. This novel, nonuniversal singularity retains a memory of the nozzle shape, size, and tilt angle. In the last stages, the air appears to tear instead of pinch.
authors.affiliation: James Franck Institute, University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA. nkeim@uchicago.edu
authors.forename: Nathan C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Keim
authors.forename: Peder
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Møller
authors.forename: Wendy W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Sidney R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Nagel