Mayonnaise is a polarizing condiment that has a unique texture, causing feelings of both love and loathing. However, this texture makes it perfect for physics experiments. Mechanical engineer Arindam Banerjee and his team at Lehigh University are studying phenomena that occur in mayonnaise as well as in nuclear fusion experiments. Mayonnaise exhibits behavior that falls between elastic and plastic properties – it returns to its original shape when gently jiggled, but permanently changes or breaks apart when flung forcefully.
In nuclear fusion experiments that use lasers to initiate fusion, pressures and temperatures become extremely high as atomic nuclei merge together, releasing energy. Understanding how materials behave under such extreme conditions is crucial. In a recent experiment, scientists studied how mayonnaise interacts with air by dolloping it into a spinning wheel, which accelerates the mayo into the gas. The researchers observed if the mayo returned to its original shape, changed shape, or broke apart after the wheel stopped spinning, determining the transition between elastic and plastic behavior.
The experiment with mayo and air offers insights into the behavior of materials in conditions necessary for nuclear fusion. When studying the molten metal in a fusion fuel capsule in a similar manner to the mayo experiment, it is essential to understand its properties. The molten capsule shares characteristics with a solid material but can break apart under sufficient force. If the metal becomes plastic before fusion can occur, the gas contained within the capsule may escape, compromising the fusion process.
While using mayonnaise for physics experiments is effective, it does have its challenges. Purchasing large quantities of mayonnaise for research purposes can lead to scrutiny, with grocery stores questioning the reason for such an excessive amount. Despite this, the study of mayonnaise’s behavior has provided valuable insights into the elastic-to-plastic transition that occurs under extreme conditions, making it a useful model for understanding materials in fusion experiments.
