Flower-shaped structures around bubbles collapsing in a bubble monolayer

In this paper, high-speed macro-photography is used to investigate the dyna mics of small bubbles collapsing at the free surface of a glass when filled with champagne. Immediately after the rupture of a bubble cap, adjoining b ubbles are stretched toward the lowest part of the cavity left by the burst ing bubble, leading to unexpected and short-lived flower-shaped structures. Our results strongly suggest stresses in the bubble cap of adjacent bubble s much higher than those observed around an isolated single collapsing cavi ty. (C) 2001 Academie des sciences/Editions scientifiques et medicales Else vier SAS.