Toroidal Vortex

Episode 4 - Thursday 2 December, 2010

Toroidal Vortex More from this episode

If you've ever wondered why nuclear explosions are so spellbinding to watch but are too scared to set one off, you've come to the right place. The answer is that those terrifying mushroom clouds are actually a gigantic toroidal vortex. A what, you say?

A torus is the name for the shape of a donut so something which is donut-shaped is toroidal (just as a ball could be described as being spherical). A vortex is a mass of swirling liquid or gas and, so, a donut shaped mass of swirling fluid is called a toroidal vortex.

The maelstrom of smoke and dust swirling around the toroidal vortex in the head of a mushroom cloud make the donut shape rolling around inside very difficult to spot. But in this studio demonstration, Ruben uses a fog machine, a plastic garbage bin and an old shower screen to blast beautiful toroidal vortices around the studio.

Clicking on the link below will take you the ABC Science Online Surfing Scientist website where you can make some gorgeous toroidal vortices in a glass of water without sacrificing your rubbish bin.

Toroidal Vortex