The Schlieren technique allows us to see the invisible: the optical inhomogeneities in transparent media like air, water, and glass that otherwise cause only ghostly distortions of our normal vision. The strong visual and artistic nature of the optical flow visualization practiced for decades by Prof. Settles and his students has been used in many film and television documentaries, museum exhibits, books, encyclopedias and magazines around the world.

The images above were taken using the Laboratory's unique 40" diameter field-of-view color schlieren system. The images depict a) candle burning in still air; b) a balloon bursting; c) a soap bubble; d) a gunshot; and e) a candle burning in turbulent air.