Splash Form Tektites - Cosmic Donuts Recreated By Levitation
Wednesday, January 7, 2015 - 14:50
in Physics & Chemistry
Splash form tektites are tiny shards of natural glass created from spinning drops of molten rock flung from the earth during an extra-terrestrial impact, such as when the earth is hit by asteroids or comets. They come in many shapes, from dumbbells to doughnuts, and how the shapes are formed has been the subject of scientific investigation for centuries. Until now, the shapes of rapidly spinning, highly deformed droplets have been derived entirely from numerical simulations.Using magnetic levitation to imitate weightlessness, researchers have manufactured solid wax models of these shapes. It is hoped this new experimental technique can be used to better reproduce and understand tektite formation. read more