Schlieren Images -- Convection Currents and Shock Waves
Steve Butcher, Alex Crouse, and Loren Winters  -- August, 2001

The projectiles were 0.222 calibre bullets fired with a muzzle velocity of 1000 m/s (Mach 3).
All photos were taken with a Nikon D1 digital camera and 28-200 mm Sigma zoom lens set at 200 mm.
The flash unit was a PalFlash 500 loaned by Professor Andrew Davidhazy of the Rochester Institute of Technology.

The Schlieren lighting technique used for these images makes density gradients in fluids visible. Color filtration provides false color images in which the colors provide information about density changes. For all but the first two images below, the color blue shows regions of normal density. Red and yellow represent regions of density greater or less than normal. For images taken with direct flash lighting, go here.

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For more information on schlieren techniques, go here.

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Convection currents
above a hot plate
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Spray from can of
compressed air
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Bullet through air
803_23.jpg  
Bullet passing above
a hot plate
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Convection currents
above a candle flame
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803_27.jpg  
Bullet exiting a balloon
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Bullet shot through a
balloon
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Burst of a helium-
filled balloon
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Bullet striking
aluminum foil strip
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Bullet shot through
aluminum foil strip
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Bullet shot through
playing card
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Bullet shot through
folded playing card
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Bullet shot through
brownie
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Bullet shot through
candle vapor