A team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has identified a surprising exception to the well-established laws of thermodynamics, challenging long-held assumptions about how fluids mix. The findings, published this week in Nature Physics, detail how a specific combination of magnetized particles and fluids defied expectations of emulsification-the process of combining liquids like oil and water-and consistently formed a stable, amphora-like shape despite agitation. This unexpected behavior could have implications for the field of soft matter physics and future materials design.
As Homer Simpson famously quipped, “in this house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics,” but a surprising new discovery from a University of Massachusetts Amherst student is challenging that very principle. The finding, published this week, could reshape our understanding of how fluids interact and potentially influence the development of new materials.
The Laws of Thermodynamics govern the relationship between temperature, energy, and entropy within a system, and how its components interact. A common example is emulsification – the process by which two normally unmixable substances, like oil and water, can be combined into a homogenous mixture. Peanut butter, for instance, naturally separates, with oil rising to the top and requiring mixing. Food manufacturers often add emulsifiers to prevent this separation, relying on predictable interactions between components as described by thermodynamic principles.
“Think about your favorite Italian dressing,” said Thomas Russell, lead author of a new article published in Nature Physics, in a press release. “You shake it before pouring it on your salad to get all the ingredients to mix.”
That familiar process took an unexpected turn in an Amherst laboratory when graduate student Anthony Raykh combined immiscible liquids with magnetized nickel particles. Instead of mixing as expected (as shown below), the mixture formed a shape resembling a Greek amphora. This deviation from established behavior sparked a deeper investigation into the underlying physics.
After consulting with faculty and collaborating with scientists at nearby Syracuse and Tufts Universities, Raykh discovered, through detailed simulations, that a strong magnetic field could warp the boundary between the two liquids, disrupting the typical emulsification process described by the laws of thermodynamics. No matter how much the magnetized mixture was agitated, it consistently returned to the amphora shape.
“When you look very closely at the individual magnetized nickel nanoparticles forming the boundary between the water and the oil,” explains Hoagland, “you can gain extremely detailed insight into how different shapes assemble. In this case, the particles are magnetized enough that their assembly interferes with the emulsification process, which is what the laws of thermodynamics describe.”
Raykh acknowledges that this discovery doesn’t have immediate practical applications, but represents a previously unseen state that could broaden the field of soft matter physics. The research opens new avenues for exploring how external forces can manipulate fluid behavior at the nanoscale, potentially leading to advancements in materials science and engineering.
Darren lives in Portland, has a cat, and writes and edits about science fiction and how our world works. You can find his previous work at Gizmodo and Paste if you look hard enough.
