In soft matter physics, the plumber's nightmare is a structure characterized by fully connected, periodic, and topologically nontrivial surfaces. It consists of two surfaces, each of which is topologically like the surface of the bars of a jungle gym. These two "jungle gyms" are interwoven. It was predicted decades ago that this structure could be thermodynamically favored under certain circumstances.
In 2003 researchers succeeded in making a plumber's nightmare structure using a block copolymer of polyisoprene and polyethylene oxide mixed with aluminum sec-butoxide and a compound containing silicon. The polyisoprene parts formed the "jungle gym", and upon calcining this left a matrix of aluminosilicate.
The term plumber's nightmare became widely known through a publication by David A. Huse and Stanislas Leibler who attribute the name to Sol Gruner.
Other Uses
The Window's 3-D Pipes Screensaver is also known as The Plumber's Nightmare
The Series 'A' Vincent Rapide became known as "The Plumber's Nightmare" due to the mass of external pipework around the engine.
References
- Zahra Khan (Jan 12, 2024). "Thermodynamically stable 'plumber's nightmare' structure self-assembles from block copolymers". Chemistry World.
- Finnefrock, Adam C.; Ulrich, Ralph; Toombes, Gilman E. S.; Gruner, Sol M.; Wiesner, Ulrich (2003). "The Plumber's Nightmare:A New Morphology in Block Copolymer−Ceramic Nanocomposites and Mesoporous Aluminosilicates" (PDF). Journal of the American Chemical Society. 125 (43): 13084–13093. doi:10.1021/ja0355170. PMID 14570481.
- Huse, David A.; Leibler, Stanislas (1988). "Phase behaviour of an ensemble of nonintersecting random fluid films" (PDF). Journal de Physique. 49 (4): 605–621. doi:10.1051/jphys:01988004904060500.
- Harper, Roy (1985). Vincent Vee Twins – The famous 1000 series, plus 500 singles. London: Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-0-85045-435-2.
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