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Shape transformations in rotating ferrofluid drops
Floating drops of magnetic fluid can be brought into rotation by applying a
rotating magnetic field. We report theoretical and experimental results on the
transition from a spheroid equilibrium shape to non-axissymmetrical three-axes
ellipsoids at certain values of the external field strength. The transitions
are continuous for small values of the magnetic susceptibility and show
hysteresis for larger ones. In the non-axissymmetric shape the rotational
motion of the drop consists of a vortical flow inside the drop combined with a
slow rotation of the shape. Nonlinear magnetization laws are crucial to obtain
quantitative agreement between theory and experiment.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
SDiff(2) and uniqueness of the Pleba\'{n}ski equation
The group of area preserving diffeomorphisms showed importance in the
problems of self-dual gravity and integrability theory. We discuss how
representations of this infinite-dimensional Lie group can arise in
mathematical physics from pure local considerations. Then using Lie algebra
extensions and cohomology we derive the second Pleba\'{n}ski equation and its
geometry. We do not use K\"ahler or other additional structures but obtain the
equation solely from the geometry of area preserving transformations group. We
conclude that the Pleba\'{n}ski equation is Lie remarkable
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