The art of shock waves and their flowfields

The visualization of compressible flows is a mature science that has significantly contributed to many advancesinfluidmechanics.Numerousvisualizationrecords have been generated, many of which are not only notewor- thy for their physical content, but also for their aesthetic appeal. Images of shock waves and their flowfields, primar- ilyobtainedwithdensity-sensitivevisualizationmethods,not only provide valuable information about the physical mech- anisms of flows, but often have the qualities of works of art. This paper reviews briefly the role of these visualizations in science and their possible position in an art environment, while trying to establish a little-explored link between the elements of compressible fluid dynamics and some features found in various works of art.