Abstract
Splashes caused by a spherical body plunging into water were investigated experimentally using a high speed CMOS camera. We categorized types of splash according to impact velocities of the sphere. Three types of splash were found: Type-I is a thin spire-type splash, Type-II is a mushroom-type splash with many droplets, and Type-III is a crown-type splash with many droplets. The reaction to the concave water surface attached to the sinking sphere is a cause of the Type-I splash. The film flow climbing up the sphere is a dominant cause of the Type-II splash. The velocity of the film flow, which is proportional to the impact velocity of the sphere, affects the fingers of the film flow, detaching of droplets, and maximum height of the Type-II splash. The Type-III crown-type splash is characterized by water jets with many droplets. A bulky air column in water is formed behind the sinking sphere, and longitudinal ridges and ripples on the surface of the air column were observed.
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Yoshihiro Kubota: He received his M.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 2008 from Syracuse University. He also received his M.Eng. degree in Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2005 from Graduate School of Toyo University. He joined in Biomechanical Engineering Laboratory, Toyo University in 2002. His research interests are Flow Visualization, PIV measurement.
Osamu Mochizuki: He worked in System Robotics, Toyo University as a professor from 2003 to 2008. He works in Department of Biomedical Engineering since 2009. His research interests are flow induced by small life, bio mimetics and PIV measurements.
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Kubota, Y., Mochizuki, O. Splash formation by a spherical body plunging into water. J Vis 12, 339–346 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03181877
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03181877