A Gallery of Fluid Motion

A selection of the winners of the annual DFD/APS competition for outstanding images of fluid flow are collected here. Each image is accompanied by some explanatory text, aimed at making the Gallery an attractive and essential work for all those interested in the art and science of fluid flow.

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Images of fluids in motion have served both scientific and artistic purposes at least since the time of Leonardo de Vinci over 500 years ago. The visualization of fluid flow has played a major role in the development of fluid dynamics and its technological and scientific applications, from the evolution of flight to the tracking of weather to understanding the flow of blood. Today, the Division of Fluid Dynamics of the American Physical Society annually sponsors a competition for outstanding images of fluid flow, judged by their artistic beauty and novelty and their contribution to the better understanding of fluid dynamics. This Gallery is a selection of the images that have won the competition over the last seventeen years. Each image is accompanied by some explanatory text, aimed at making the collection an attractive and essential work for everyone interested in the art and science of fluid flow.