Self-organization of hydrogen gas bubbles rising above laser-etched metallic aluminum in a weakly basic aqueous solution

Rapid Communication

Self-organization of hydrogen gas bubbles rising above laser-etched metallic aluminum in a weakly basic aqueous solution

E. V. Barmina, P. G. Kuzmin, and G. A. Shafeev

Phys. Rev. E 84, 045302(R) – Published 10 October 2011

Abstract

Self-organization of hydrogen bubbles is reported under etching of metallic Aluminum in a weakly basic solution. The ascending gas bubbles drift to the areas with higher density of bubbles. As a result, ascending bubbles form various stationary structures whose symmetry is determined by the symmetry of the etched area. Bubbles are aligned along the bisectors of the contour of the etched area. The special laser-assisted profiling of the etched area in shape of a vortex induces a torque in the fluid above the etched area. The process is interpreted on the basis of Bernoulli equation.