#flowVisualization

Nicole SharpGlimpses of Coronal RainDespite its incredible heat, our sun‘s corona is so faint compared to the rest of the star that we can rarely make it out except during a total solar eclipse. But a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02564-0" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">new adaptive optic technique</a> has given us coronal images with unprecedented detail.These images come from the 1.6-meter Goode Solar Telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory, and they required some 2,200 adjustments to the instrument’s mirror every second to counter atmospheric distortions that would otherwise blur the images. With the new technique, the team was able to sharpen their resolution from 1,000 kilometers all the way down to 63 kilometers, revealing heretofore unseen details of plasma from solar prominences dancing in the sun’s magnetic field and cooling plasma falling as coronal rain.The team hope to upgrade the 4-meter Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope with the technology next, which will enable even finer imagery. (Image credit: <a href="https://nso.edu/press-release/new-adaptive-optics-shows-stunning-details-of-our-stars-atmosphere/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Schmidt et al./NJIT/NSO/AURA/NSF</a>; research credit: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02564-0" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">D. Schmidt et al.</a>; via <a href="https://gizmodo.com/telescope-upgrade-reveals-suns-coronal-rain-in-unprecedented-detail-2000607634" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Gizmodo</a>)<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/flow-visualization/" target="_blank">#flowVisualization</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/fluid-dynamics/" target="_blank">#fluidDynamics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/magnetic-field/" target="_blank">#magneticField</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/magnetohydrodynamics/" target="_blank">#magnetohydrodynamics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/physics/" target="_blank">#physics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/plasma/" target="_blank">#plasma</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/science/" target="_blank">#science</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/solar-dynamics/" target="_blank">#solarDynamics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/stellar-evolution/" target="_blank">#stellarEvolution</a>

Nicole SharpStunning Interstellar TurbulenceThe space between stars, known as the interstellar medium, may be sparse, but it is far from empty. Gas, dust, and plasma in this region forms compressible magnetized turbulence, with some pockets moving supersonically and others moving slower than sound. The flows here influence how stars form, how cosmic rays spread, and where metals and other planetary building blocks wind up. To better understand the physics of this region, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02551-5" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">researchers built</a> a numerical simulation with over 1,000 billion grid points, creating an unprecedentedly detailed picture of this turbulence.The images above are two-dimensional slices from the full 3D simulation. The upper image shows the current density while the lower one shows mass density. On the right side of the images, magnetic field lines are superimposed in white. The results are gorgeous. Can you imagine a fly-through video? (Image and research credit: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02551-5" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">J. Beattie et al.</a>; via <a href="https://gizmodo.com/most-detailed-simulation-of-magnetic-turbulence-in-space-is-surprisingly-beautiful-2000606528?__readwiseLocation=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Gizmodo</a>)<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/astrophysics/" target="_blank">#astrophysics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/compressibility/" target="_blank">#compressibility</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/flow-visualization/" target="_blank">#flowVisualization</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/fluid-dynamics/" target="_blank">#fluidDynamics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/fluids-as-art/" target="_blank">#fluidsAsArt</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/magnetohydrodynamics/" target="_blank">#magnetohydrodynamics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/numerical-simulation/" target="_blank">#numericalSimulation</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/physics/" target="_blank">#physics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/science/" target="_blank">#science</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/turbulence/" target="_blank">#turbulence</a>

Nicole SharpMelting in a SpinThe world’s largest iceberg A23a is spinning in a Taylor column off the Antarctic coast. This poster looks at a miniature version of the problem with a fluorescein-dyed ice slab slowly melting in water. On the left, the model iceberg is melting without rotating. The melt water stays close to the base until it forms a narrow, sinking plume. In the center, the ice rotates, which moves the detachment point outward. The wider plume is turbulent compared to the narrow, non-rotating one. At higher rotation speeds (right), the plume is even wider and more turbulent, causing the fastest melting rate. (Image credit: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/APS.DFD.2024.GFM.P2676604" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">K. Perry and S. Morris</a>)<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/2024gfm/" target="_blank">#2024gfm</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/flow-visualization/" target="_blank">#flowVisualization</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/fluid-dynamics/" target="_blank">#fluidDynamics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/iceberg/" target="_blank">#iceberg</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/melting/" target="_blank">#melting</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/physics/" target="_blank">#physics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/rotation/" target="_blank">#rotation</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/science/" target="_blank">#science</a>

Nicole SharpFlamingo Fluid Dynamics, Part 2: The Game’s a FootYesterday we saw how hunting flamingos use their heads and beaks to draw out and trap various prey. Today we take another look at the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2503495122" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">same study</a>, which shows that flamingos use their footwork, too. If you watch flamingos on a beach, in muddy waters, or in a shallow pool, you’ll see them shifting back and forth as they lift and lower their feet. In humans, we might attribute this to nervous energy, but it turns out it’s another flamingo hunting habit. As a flamingo raises its foot, it draws its toes together; when it stomps down, its foot spreads outward. This morphing shape, researchers discovered, creates a standing vortex just ahead of its feet — right where it lowers its head to sample whatever hapless creatures it has caught in this swirling vortex. And the vortex, as shown below, is strong enough to trap even active swimmers, making the flamingo a hard hunter to escape. (Image credit: top – <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/a-group-of-flamingos-standing-in-shallow-water-sz6x6Cb23WQ" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">L. Yukai</a>, others – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2503495122" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">V. Ortega-Jimenez et al.</a>; research credit: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2503495122" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">V. Ortega-Jimenez et al.</a>; submitted by Soh KY) <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/biology/" target="_blank">#biology</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/flamingo/" target="_blank">#flamingo</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/flow-visualization/" target="_blank">#flowVisualization</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/fluid-dynamics/" target="_blank">#fluidDynamics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/fluids-as-art/" target="_blank">#fluidsAsArt</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/physics/" target="_blank">#physics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/science/" target="_blank">#science</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/vortices/" target="_blank">#vortices</a>

Nicole SharpFlamingo Fluid Dynamics, Part 1: A Head in the GameFlamingos are unequivocally odd-looking birds with their long skinny legs, sinuous necks, and bent L-shaped beaks. They are filter-feeders, but a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2503495122" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">new study shows</a> that they are far from passive wanderers looking for easy prey in shallow waters. Instead, flamingos are active hunters, using fluid dynamics to draw out and trap the quick-moving invertebrates they feed on. In today’s post, I’ll focus on how flamingos use their heads and beaks; next time, we’ll take a look at what they do with their feet. Feeding flamingos often bob their heads out of the water. This, it turns out, is not indecision, but a strategy. Lifting its flat upper forebeak from near the bottom of a pool creates suction. That suction creates a tornado-like vortex that helps draw food particles and prey from the muddy sediment. When feeding, flamingos will also open and close their mandibles about 12 times a second in a behavior known as chattering. This movement, as seen in the video above, creates a flow that draws particles — and even active swimmers! — toward its beak at about seven centimeters a second. Staying near the surface won’t keep prey safe from flamingos, either. In slow-flowing water, the birds will set the upper surface of their forebeak on the water, tip pointed downstream. This seems counterintuitive, until you see flow visualization around the bird’s head, as above. Von Karman vortices stream off the flamingo’s head, which creates a slow-moving recirculation zone right by the tip of the bird’s beak. Brine shrimp eggs get caught in these zones, delivering themselves right to the flamingo’s mouth.Clearly, the flamingo is a pretty sophisticated hunter! It’s actively drawing out and trapping prey with clever fluid dynamics. Tomorrow we’ll take a look at some of its other tricks. (Image credit: top – <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/pink-flamingo-bvpWQI8Xb0k" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">G. Cessati</a>, others – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2503495122" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">V. Ortega-Jimenez et al.</a>; research credit: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2503495122" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">V. Ortega-Jimenez et al.</a>; submitted by Soh KY)<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/biology/" target="_blank">#biology</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/filter-feeding/" target="_blank">#filterFeeding</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/flamingo/" target="_blank">#flamingo</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/flow-visualization/" target="_blank">#flowVisualization</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/fluid-dynamics/" target="_blank">#fluidDynamics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/physics/" target="_blank">#physics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/science/" target="_blank">#science</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/suction/" target="_blank">#suction</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/vortices/" target="_blank">#vortices</a>

Nicole SharpCreating Liquid Landscapes <a class="" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/wp-content/uploads/nis_intro1.png" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a> <a class="" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/wp-content/uploads/nis_intro2.png" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a> <a class="" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/wp-content/uploads/nis_intro3.png" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a> <a class="" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/wp-content/uploads/nis_intro4.png" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a> <a class="" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/wp-content/uploads/nis_intro5.png" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a> <a class="" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/wp-content/uploads/nis_intro6.png" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a> Artist <a href="https://www.terracollage.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Roman De Giuli</a> excels at creating what appear to be vast landscapes carved by moving water. In reality, these pieces are small-scale flows, created on paper. Now, De Giuli takes us behind the scenes to see how he creates these masterpieces — layering, washing, burning, and repeating to build up the paperscape that eventually hosts the flows we see recorded. The work is meticulous and slow, and the results are incredible. De Giuli’s videos never fail to transport me to a calmer, more pristine version of our world. I can’t wait to see the new series! (Video and image credit: <a href="https://www.terracollage.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">R. De Giuli</a>)<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/flow-visualization/" target="_blank">#flowVisualization</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/fluid-dynamics/" target="_blank">#fluidDynamics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/fluids-as-art/" target="_blank">#fluidsAsArt</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/physics/" target="_blank">#physics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/science/" target="_blank">#science</a>

Nicole SharpVisualizing Unstable Flames <a class="" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/wp-content/uploads/thermo_instab1.gif" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a> <a class="" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/wp-content/uploads/thermo_instab2.gif" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a> <a class="" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/wp-content/uploads/thermo_instab3.png" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a> Inside a combustion chamber, temperature fluctuations can cause sound waves that also disrupt the flow, in turn. This is called a thermoacoustic instability. In this video, researchers explore this process by watching how flames move down a tube. The flame fronts begin in an even curve that flattens out and then develops waves like those on a vibrating pool. Those waves grow bigger and bigger until the flame goes completely turbulent. Visually, it’s mesmerizing. Mathematically, it’s a lovely example of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parametric_oscillator" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">parametric resonance</a>, where the flame’s instability is fed by system’s natural harmonics. (Video and image credit: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/APS.DFD.2024.GFM.V2561866" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">J. Delfin et al.</a>; research credit: J. Delfin et al. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2024.132344" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proci.2024.105322" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2</a>)<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/2024gofm/" target="_blank">#2024gofm</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/combustion/" target="_blank">#combustion</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/combustion-instability/" target="_blank">#combustionInstability</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/flame/" target="_blank">#flame</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/flow-visualization/" target="_blank">#flowVisualization</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/fluid-dynamics/" target="_blank">#fluidDynamics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/instability/" target="_blank">#instability</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/parametric-resonance/" target="_blank">#parametricResonance</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/physics/" target="_blank">#physics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/resonance/" target="_blank">#resonance</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/science/" target="_blank">#science</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/thermoacoustic-instability/" target="_blank">#thermoacousticInstability</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/turbulence/" target="_blank">#turbulence</a>

Nicole SharpIn what seems to be a tradition now, a group at MIT imagined how the Millennium Falcon would perform if it lost its engines during atmospheric flight. Their hypothetical scenario took place in the Battle of Endor, with the Falcon flying at an altitude of 2 kilometers.* Could Han Solo and Chewbecca safely glide the craft down? Using computational fluid dynamics, the group found the Millennium Falcon has a glide ratio of only 1.8, meaning it travels forward 1.8 kilometers in the time it takes to lose one kilometer of altitude. Its namesake bird, on the other hand, has a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.52.2.345" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">glide ratio of 10</a>. The Corellian freighter might not be the best glider out there, but the team estimated that it could safely manage its 3.6 kilometer glide down. (Image credit: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/APS.DFD.2023.GFM.P0049" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">S. Costa et al.</a>; see also X-Wing Re-entry and AT-AT Flow)*I’m definitely overthinking this, but now I’m really wondering what atmospheric characteristics they used for Endor. And what’s Endor’s gravity like?<a href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/2024/05/millennium-falcons-glide/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://fyfluiddynamics.com/2024/05/millennium-falcons-glide/</a><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/2023gofm/" target="_blank">#2023gofm</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/flow-visualization/" target="_blank">#flowVisualization</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/fluid-dynamics/" target="_blank">#fluidDynamics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/gliding/" target="_blank">#gliding</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/physics/" target="_blank">#physics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/science/" target="_blank">#science</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://fyfluiddynamics.com/tagged/star-wars/" target="_blank">#starWars</a>

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