Six clear plastic resealable food containers with burgundy lids each contain samples of dried starch. The starch formed columns whose average size varies among the samples. Each sample is supported by a cushion of aluminum foil within the containers. Three of the containers are taller than the other three.
2022.ph.868.1: A taller container with an adhesive label with the following message written in green ink: “Columnar joints in corn starch// uncontrolled drying// Goehring + Morris// 2003 – 2009”
2022.ph.868.2: A taller container with an adhesive label with the following message written in blue ink: “Columnar joints in corn starch// uncontrolled drying// Goehring + Morris// 2003 – 2009”
2022.ph.868.3: A taller container with an adhesive label with the following message written in blue ink: “Columnar joints in corn starch// uncontrolled drying// Goehring + Morris// 2003 – 2009”
This sample is fuller, and the borders between the columns less obvious, than the other two samples.
2022.ph.868.4: A shorter container with an adhesive label with the following message written in blue ink: “Columnar joints in corn starch// controlled drying// Goehring + Morris// 2003 – 2009”
The columns of this samples are relatively narrow.
2022.ph.868.5: A shorter container with an adhesive label with the following message written in blue ink: “Columnar joints in corn starch// controlled drying// Goehring + Morris// 2003 – 2009”
This sample is relatively small, and its columns are relatively narrow.
2022.ph.868.6: A shorter container with an adhesive label with the following message written in blue ink: “Columnar joints in corn starch// Goehring + Morris// PNAS 2009// controlled drying”
This sample is shown in a 2009 article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science that is cited in the “Additional Information and References” field below. The sample is relatively small. It is more crumbled than similar samples.
Accession Number: 2022.ph.868.1-6
Alternative Name:
Primary Materials: Starch, Aluminum Foil
Markings:
Taller containers: Height = 12, Width = 18, Length = 18; Shorter containers: Height = 9, Width = 18, Length = 18.
These samples were produced during investigations of the formation of columnar joints in drying starch. Columnar formation in drying starch is analogous to similar formations in igneous rock, seen most famously in the “Giant’s Causeway” formation on the coast of Northern Ireland.
In these starch experiments, heat lamps were used to create a drying front. To create the samples labelled “controlled”, weight measurements were used to control the exposure to the heat lamps to create consistently sized columns.
Condition:
Associated Instruments:
Prof. Stephen Morris and Lucas Goehring
Date of Manufacture: c. 2003 – 2009
These samples were acquired from Professor Stephen Morris’ lab on September 19, 2022.
The highest profile paper to come from this work is the following paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. The cover of the issue shows a photo of 2022.ph.868.6:
https://www.physics.utoronto.ca/nonlinear/abstracts/GMM_PNASabstract.html
Goehring, Mahadevan, Morris, “Nonequilibrium scale selection mechanism for columnar jointing.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 106, 387 (2009). (Linked abstract archived on October 29, 2022)
This and several other videos on the Stephen Morris YouTube channel show the evolution of desiccating starch imaged using x-ray tomography. (accessed October 29, 2022)
See also: Lucas Goehring, Stephen W. Morris, and Zhenquan Lin, “Experimental investigation of the scaling of columnar joints.” Physical Review E 74, 036115. 25 September 2006
Historical Notes:
- Donated to UTSIC