Symmetry-breaking instabilities in the bouncing droplet system

We consider the dynamics of bouncing millimetric droplets, levitating on the surface of a vibrating liquid bath. We review recent work that characterizes and rationalizes theoretically a number of symmetry-breaking instabilities that arise as the driving parameter, the vibrational acceleration, is increased progressively. Instabilities of individual droplets, droplet pairs and lattices of various geometries are considered in turn. The relation between this bouncing-droplet system and a number of microscopic systems is briefly discussed.