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Published online 28 January 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.531
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Fractals in the sand
Gas fingers in glass beads confirm fluid-theory prediction.
Researchers have confirmed a previously unobserved property of fluids by watching the fractal expansion of a pocket of gas into a thin layer of glass beads.
The experiment adds detail to the understanding of a phenomenon called ‘viscous fingering’, which has been studied for more than 50 years.
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I find the research described in this article fascinating. I don't suppose it is a surprise to find fractals showing up in this system, but I am delighted to see this proven so elegantly. I would like to point out a few terminological errors. First, the glass beads used for the experiment were medium sand, not coarse sand. This is probably a good thing, because in my experience medium sand is more abundant in nature anyway. The distinction is important, because sands composed of grains of different sizes are found in different natural environments and have different fluid-flow properties. Second, the author is confused about the meaning of the word "fluid." Scientifically, both liquids and gases are fluids. The author should have pointed out that this was the first experiment using gases as opposed to liquids