Schlieren Images -- Convection Currents and Shock Waves / 803_46
Steve Butcher, Alex Crouse, and Loren Winters
8/5/01

Previous Home Next

803_46

The bullet passed through a playing card seen edge on. Ejected paper particles are accelerated to high speeds in the collision, and some of them initially travel as fast as the bullet. Each supersonic particle produces its own shock wave. Note the circular front generated by the vibration of the top edge of the card.  For an image of a similar collision showing the ejected particles under direct flash lighting, go here.