Research

Rebounding

A ping pong ball bounces off a puddle, drawing a liquid column upward behind it.  This photo shows the instant after the fluid has disconnected from the ball, allowing it to rebound without further loss of momentum to the fluid.  The fluid column begins to fall under gravity, the tiny undulations in its radius growing via the Rayleigh-Plateau instability and eventually causing the column to separate from the puddle.  You can see the whole process in action in this high-speed video. (Photo credit: BYU Splash Lab)

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