Influence of a local change of depth on the behavior of bouncing oil drops

TL;DR

This study investigates how local depth variations affect the bouncing behavior of oil drops on a vertically oscillated liquid bath, revealing new behaviors and extending prior observations inspired by Couder and Bush.

Contribution

It demonstrates the impact of submerged obstacles on bouncing oil drops, providing new experimental insights into fluid dynamics phenomena related to depth changes.

Findings

Recreated previous results on bouncing drops on uniform depth

Observed new behaviors due to local depth variations

Extended understanding of fluid dynamics near obstacles

Abstract

The work of Couder \textit{et al} (see also Bush \textit{et al}) inspired consideration of the impact of a submerged obstacle, providing a local change of depth, on the behavior of oil drops in the bouncing regime. In the linked videos, we recreate some of their results for a drop bouncing on a uniform depth bath of the same liquid undergoing vertical oscillations just below the conditions for Faraday instability, and show a range of new behaviors associated with change of depth. This article accompanies a fluid dynamics video entered into the Gallery of Fluid Motion of the 66th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics.