Physics in Pictures

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Free Floating Plasma Orb or Squid Ghost

Ghost of discharged capacitor found haunting a glass of water! What could be more scary than that? Try a hot ball of electric plasma.

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Laser-Plasma Creates Electro-Optic Shocks

High power laser pulses create shockwaves and bubbles in plasma.

Dust devils on Mars!

Dust devils on Mars!

What does this image look like to you? Could it be a close up of a tattoo or a lizard's back or even silly putty that was rubbed on a news paper?

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Red Dye Crowned in Milk

This crown is formed by the splash and droplets of a 2 mm drop of red dye impacting on a thin layer of milk.

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Centrifugal Instability of an Oscillating Boundary Layer

A cylinder twisting back and forth in water, produces a "centrifugal instability," as shown by fluorescent dye. This fluid pattern will not only help scientists better understand ocean dynamics, but it is also aesthetically beautiful.