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