Synthetic Schlieren: Determination of the density gradient generated by internal waves propagating in a stratified fluid

THOMAS, LUIS P; MARINO, BEATRIZ M; DALZIEL, STUART B.

Journal of Physics: Conference Series

IOP Publishing Limited

Año: 2009 vol. 166 p. 120071 - 1200711

1742-6588

The synthetic schlieren technique and a convenient image processing are employed to attain a new insight into the visualization of internal waves and to make quantitative precise measurements of the bidimensional distributions of very small density gradient variations, harmonics distributions patterns, etc., in a stratified fluid. The laboratory implementation of this technique is much simpler than that of the optical methods as classical schlieren and interferometry, and makes possible to obtain useful information in situations in which shadowgraph gives only qualitative results. In addition, much greater domains than those with optical methods may be analyzed, and high optical quality windows are not required. Its application is illustrated by means of the visualization of the internal gravity waves generated by an oscillating body and thermals.