Abstract:
Experiments on a small cluster of bubbles in a nominally two-dimensional foam show an instability in which a topological change forces one of the bubbles to be ejected to the outside of the cluster at a point where this is not predicted by a two-dimensional model of a foam. This is interpreted in terms of the energy of the initial and ejected states and of the finite liquid content of the experimental system. A description of the distribution of liquid in various experimental set-ups suggests that the exact response may depend critically upon the type of system used. This is demonstrated experimentally with reference to small clusters of bubbles undergoing a single topological change.
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Received: 18 October 2002 / Accepted: 22 April 2003 / Published online: 21 May 2003
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Cox, S., Vaz, M. & Weaire, D. Topological changes in a two-dimensional foam cluster. Eur Phys J E 11, 29–35 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2002-10126-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2002-10126-9