Salt-ring in your pasta pan: Morphology of particle cloud deposit

When added to a pot of boiling pasta, a handful of salt grains can create a fascinating and varied pattern of deposits. In this study, we experimentally investigate this phenomenon by examining the deposits, focusing on the radial distribution of clusters of settling spherical particles in a quiescent viscous fluid at an intermediate Reynolds number. We demonstrate that the particle diameter d, the settling height H, and the injected particle volume Vinj all influence the particles' radial spread. Additionally, the injection method significantly impacts the deposit's final morphology. The resulting deposit structure emerges from the sedimentation history of the particle cloud, reflecting a complex interplay of various physical mechanisms.