Science Visualized Physics

CO2 from champagne bottles can form shock waves like those seen in rocket exhaust

Structures called Mach disks show up in both types of plumes

champagne cork

Gas escaping from uncorked champagne bottles can contain shock waves called Mach disks (center, top and bottom), ordinarily spotted in the supersonic exhaust of rockets and jets. Plumes from cooler bottles are bluer than those from warmer bottles.

G. Liger-Belair, D. Cordier and R. Georges/Science Advances 2019

By Maria Temming

- More than 2 years ago

You may not be able to blast a bottle of champagne off in the backyard, but it turns out that sparkling wine is its own kind of bottle rocket.