We present an experimental investigation of the coiling of a filament of a yield stress fluid falling on a solid surface. We use two kinds of yield stress fluids, shaving foam and hair gel, and show that the coiling of the foam is similar to the coiling of an elastic rope. Two regimes of coiling (elastic and gravitational) are observed for the foam. Hair gel coiling, on the other hand, is more like the coiling of a liquid system; here we observe viscous and gravitational regimes. No inertial regime is observed for either system because of instabilities occurring at high flow rates or the breakup of the filament from large heights.

• Received 1 November 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.83.056327