Rochester Institute of Technology RIT Scholar Works Articles 2006 Introduction to shadowgraph and schlieren imaging Andrew Davidhazy Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.rit.edu/article Recommended Citation Davidhazy, Andrew, "Introduction to shadowgraph and schlieren imaging" (2006). Accessed from http://scholarworks.rit.edu/article/478 This Technical Report is brought to you for free and open access by RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Articles by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. INTRODUCTION TO SHADOHGRAPH AND SCHLIEREN IMAGING Andrew Davidhazy Rochester In.titute of Technology Imaging and Photoqraphic Technology Schlieren photography is not new. It's a technique peripherally developed by early astronomers and glass maker•. It is a word that has it's origin in the german word "schliereN or streaks, caused by inhomogeneous areas in glass. A variety of methods were used to detect these .chliere, with some of them probably closely related to the technique. which we are about to examine. There are three basic types of - SI-tAbOIJ612APHS optical probing systems each with intrinsic merits and limitations. -SCHLIE'REN These are shadowqraphs, schlieren images, and interferograms. The5e are -UffiRffRD6I2AHS lis~ed in order of increasing complexi~y and pos5ible varia~ions. In ~he mid 1800's, Leon Foucault developed a test ~ha~ bears his name for examining the figure or curvature of as~ronomical mirrors. Worker5 testing mirror.~i~n the Foucault ~est were well aware of, and took great pains to minimize, the disturbing effects of density gradients present between the light FOUCAULT source, the mirror and the "knife edge".