Stabilization of liquid instabilities with ionized gas jets
- Journal:
- Nature
- Published:
- DOI:
- 10.1038/s41586-021-03359-9
- Affiliations:
- 6
- Authors:
- 7
Research Highlight
Ionized jets create less of a splash
© Jason marz/Moment/Getty Images
A jet of weakly ionized gas molecules produces a more stable deformation on a liquid surface than a neutral gas jet.
Blowing through a straw creates a small dimple on the surface of a drink. This simple phenomenon is important in a wide range of natural and industrial processes, including in biomedical engineering and steel making. However, the factors that influence the stability of these cavities on a liquid surface have received little attention.
Now, seven researchers, including five from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), have discovered that cavities on a water surface produced by jets of weakly ionized helium gas are more stable than those created by a neutral helium jet.
This is the first time that an ionized gas jet has been shown to have a stabilizing effect and it could shed light on the dynamics of weakly ionized atmospheres of planets as well as important industrial processes.
References
- Nature 592, 49–53 (2021). doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03359-9
Institutions | Authors | Share |
---|---|---|
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea | 0.71 | |
Jeonbuk National University (JBNU), South Korea | 0.14 | |
Jozef Stefan Institute (IJS), Slovenia | 0.14 |