Vortex Knot (Time Will Untie It)
A bubble vortex in the shape of a trefoil knot, a long-theorized fluid shape that is nonetheless challenging to create. The loops of the knot will quickly rearrange into a pair of unlinked rings, demonstrating the tendency of fluid knots toward simple forms.
Stretching of a Helical Vortex
Volumetric image of an isolated helical vortex evolving in water. The helicity of a vortex measures the degree of twisting, writhing, and linking among the filaments of the vortex. By observing the vortex over time with volumetric imaging, it is possible to describe how helicity is conserved in a real liquid.
An Odd Chiral Phase
An optical micrograph of golden-colored colloidal magnets in bulk, after a few minutes of spinning with a magnetic field. The colloidal magnets are made of 1.6 micrometer hematite cubes suspended in water, creating a chiral fluid.