Surface Texture and Pulsation Due to Balloon Bursting in Different Liquids

Abstract

We study the instabilities occurring during the burst of an air balloon in a liquid. These instabilities are typical for the deformation of an interface between two fluids of different densities, similar to fingering in Rayleigh-Taylor instability (see e.g. Sharp, 1984). In the Video a series of bursts are shown for air balloons in different liquids. When the balloon tears it tracks the surface, generating wrinkles and releasing the pressure inside. Apparently, the texture of the surface during the burst becomes smoother as the viscosity increases. During the burst the surface breaks and generates several small bubbles. Furthermore, the pressure inside the balloon is higher than the external pressure before the burst; once the balloon tears the pressure is released and the generated bubbles pulsate several times (see e.g. Brennen, 1995). Such oscillations are more evident for higher internal pressures.