mastodon.online is one of the many independent Mastodon servers you can use to participate in the fediverse.
A newer server operated by the Mastodon gGmbH non-profit

Server stats:

11K
active users

#raindrops

12 posts6 participants0 posts today

A Drop’s Shape Effects

Falling raindrops get distorted by the air rushing past them, ultimately breaking large droplets into many smaller ones. This research poster shows how variable this process is by showing two different raindrops, both of the same 8-mm initial diameter. On the left, the drop is prolate — longer than it is wide — and on the right, the drop is oblate — wider than it is long. Moving from bottom to top, we see a series of snapshots of each drop’s shape as it deforms and, eventually, breaks into smaller drops. The overall process is similar for each: the drop flattens, dimples, and then inflates like a sail, with part of the drop thinning into a sheet and ultimately breaking into smaller droplets. Yet, each drop’s specific details are entirely different. (Image credit: S. Dighe et al.)