Fast, nonevolutionary dynamics in foams

The advent of new experimental probes such as diffusing-wave spectroscopy is permitting rapid progress in our understanding of dynamics in foams. In addition to evolution mechanisms, this includes faster processes such as thermal fluctuations in the shapes of the bubbles as well as neighbor-switching rearrangements in the bubble-packing structure itself. These collective phenomena have important connections to the macroscopic mechanical properties of foams, upon which most applications are based.