When the cork pops on a bottle of champagne, the physics is akin to that of a missile launch in more ways than one. In this study, researchers used computational Keep reading
Tag: numerical simulation
Asperitas Formation
In 2017, the World Meteorological Organization named a new cloud type: the wave-like asperitas cloud. How these rare and distinctive clouds form is still a matter of debate, but this Keep reading
Re-Entry For X-Wings
Fans of sci-fi and fantasy have a long-standing tradition of exploring the physics and/or practicality of creations in their fandom, and Star Wars fans are no exception. Here engineers ask Keep reading
Burning Virtual Forests
Wildfires are growing ever more frequent and more destructive as the climate crisis worsens. Unfortunately, simulating and predicting the course of these fires is incredibly difficult, requiring a combination of Keep reading
Inside a Coronavirus Aerosol
This is a glimpse inside a tiny aerosol droplet with a single SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus inside it. The numerical simulation required a team of 50 scientists, 1.3 billion atoms, and the Keep reading
Marshland Wave Damping
Coastal marshes are a critical natural defense against flooding. The flexible plants of the marsh both slow the water’s current and help damp waves. As a result of that hydrodynamic Keep reading
Superfluid Instabilities
Superfluids — like Bose-Einstein condensates — are bizarre compared to fluids from our everyday experience because they have no viscosity. Without viscosity, it’s no surprise that they behave in unusual Keep reading
Sea Sponge Hydrodynamics
The Venus’s flower basket is a sea sponge that lives at depths of 100-1000 meters. Its intricate latticework skeleton has long fascinated engineers for its structural mechanics, but a new Keep reading
Controlling Aerosols Onstage
Few industries saw more disruption from the pandemic than the performing arts. To help orchestras return to the concert hall in a way that keeps performers and audience members safe, Keep reading
Betelgeuse’s Flickering
Between November 2019 and March 2020 Betelgeuse, the red supergiant star in the constellation Orion’s left shoulder, experienced what’s being called the Great Dimming. Usually, the star is one of Keep reading