Research

Superwalking Droplets

Featured Video Play Icon

Vibrate a pool of silicone oil and you can generate walking droplets. Drive the vibration at two simultaneous frequencies and you can support much larger droplets, known as superwalkers. These superwalkers have their own intriguing dynamics, a few of which are featured in this video.

Superwalkers can create promenading pairs, chase one another, orbit, and even form ordered and disordered crystals. They can even generate stop-and-go traffic patterns. As with regular walkers, these complex behaviors come from the interaction of bouncing droplets with their ripples and those of their neighbors. (Image, video, and research credit: R. Valani et al.)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.