SCHLIEREN IMAGING

Visualizing Invisible Density Gradients in Air
Heat Sources 3
Sensitivity 5
Mode
Shock Wave
Positive ∂n/∂x (warmer)
Negative ∂n/∂x (cooler)
High ∂n/∂y gradient
Click canvas to add heat sources. Schlieren photography reveals density gradients in transparent media — invisible to the naked eye but visible as color shifts when a gradient deflects light passing through a knife-edge filter. Used to study aerodynamics, combustion, and atmospheric optics.