Celebrating the physics of all that flows with Nicole Sharp, Ph.D.
- Profile
Where Jupiter’s Heat Comes From
Exactly what goes on in Jupiter’s atmosphere has confounded scientists for decades. Its upper atmosphere – essentially the only part we can observe – is hundreds of degrees warmer than solar heating can account for. Although it has bright auroras at its poles, that energy is trapped at high altitudes by the same rotational effects…
Quantum Droplets
Over the past decade, fluid dynamicists have been investigating tiny droplets bouncing on a vibrating fluid. This seemingly simple experiment has remarkable depth, including the ability to recreate quantum behaviors in a classical system. In this video, some of the researchers demonstrate their experimental techniques, including how they vary the frame rate relative to the…
How Many Licks Does It Take to Get to the Center of a Lollipop?
Many a child has wondered how many licks it takes to get to the center of a lollipop. Physically, this is a problem of a solid body dissolving in a flow, and it’s one scientists are interested in for its geological, industrial, and pharmacological applications. The animation above shows flow around a dissolving (candy!) body…
Capturing SLS
NASA’s recent full-scale ground test of their Space Launch System (SLS) rocket was notable for more than just the engine. It was an opportunity to use a new high dynamic range, high speed camera prototype, HiDyRS-X, to capture the rocket’s exhaust in detail never seen before. Usually the extreme brightness of the rocket exhaust makes…
Soap Film Wakes
Soap films can create remarkable flow visualizations when illuminated with monochromatic (single color) light. Each of the photos above shows a flow moving from left to right with a small object near the left creating an obstruction. In the top two images, the objects are cylinders; in the lower one it’s a flat plate tilted…
Rio 2016: Diving
Diving is a popular event for spectators, but it can also be rather confusing. We know that divers are rewarded for minimizing their splash, but what exactly does that mean and how do they do it? The ideal water entry, called a rip entry by divers, requires a diver to hit the water in a…
Rio 2016: The Swimming Pool Controversy
Statistical analysis suggests possible current in the Rio Olympics swimming pool Several news outlets, beginning with The Wall Street Journal, are reporting that the swimming pool in Rio may have had a current that biased athletes’ performances. This is based on a statistical analysis of athlete performances across the meet, conducted by Indiana University’s Joel…
Rio 2016: Badminton
Badminton is unusual among racquet sports because it does not use a sphere as its projectile. Instead players hit a shuttlecock, traditionally made from a cork ball and a skirt of goose feathers. Despite its unusual shape, the shuttlecock reaches some of the fastest speeds in sports – over 330 kph (200 mph)! The shuttlecock’s…
Rio 2016: Sailing and Rule 42
If you watch some of the sailing in Rio, you may hear commentators mention sailors being penalized for breaking Rule 42. Broadly speaking, Rule 42 says that sailors can’t use their body to propel the boat. While it seems like a little rocking couldn’t make much difference, it turns out events have these rules for…
Rio 2016: Long Jump
Long jump, like many track and field events, is affected by fluid dynamics in subtle ways. Both wind speed and altitude can modify a jumper’s performance – first, by changing the maximum speed they reach in their sprint, and second, through aerodynamic drag while in flight. Air resistance accounts for roughly 10% of a sprinter’s…