It is well known that periodic variations in the position of a circular cylinder can produce a variety of complex vortex wake patterns. We will discuss what we believe is the first investigation of the wake patterns produced by a stationary circular cylinder undergoing periodic variations in the cylinder diameter. In our experiments, cylinder variations are produced by oscillating a cone perpendicularly through a flowing soap film. The wake flow generates thickness variations in the thin soap film, allowing direct observation of wake patterns through visualization of interference fringes. The frequency of the diameter's variation influences the wake patterns.
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