Water bells created from below

We investigate the flows generated when a vertical liquid jet impinges on a large horizontal plate from below. Following impact, the liquid spreads radially as a thin film on the underside of the plate, and at a critical radius, it leaves the plate and descends as a continuous sheet. The sheet closes to form a water bell. The shape of the water bell can be altered once it has been formed. Pumping additional air to the inside of the bell causes the surface to change dramatically. A series of bells created using this process is shown.