Tractor Beam Created Using Water Waves 71
KentuckyFC writes The idea that light waves can push a physical object is far from new. But a much more recent idea is that a laser beam can also pull objects like a tractor beam. Now a team of Australian physicists has used a similar idea to create a tractor beam with water waves that pulls floating objects rather than pushes them. Their technique is to use an elongated block vibrating on the surface of water to create a train of regular plane waves. When the amplitude of these waves is small, they gradually push the surface of the water along, creating a flow that pushes floating objects with it. However, when the amplitude increases, the waves become non-linear and begin to interact with each other in a complex way. This sets up a flow of water on the surface in the opposite direction to the movement of the waves. The result is that floating objects--ping pong balls in the experiment--are pulled towards the vibrating block, like a tractor beam.
I see immediate practical applications. (Score:5, Insightful)
Large scale: cleaning up oil spills.
Small scale: Device for more effectively scooping up dirt and dropped leaves from a swimming pool.
Re:Won't work (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:How did they discover this? (Score:4, Insightful)
This is a pretty awesome result if it didn't depend on coincidence.
That's why I don't use penicillin.
Re:Suction Better (Score:5, Insightful)