title: NMR velocity mapping of gas flow around solid objects.
abstract: We present experimental visualizations of gas flow around solid blunt bodies by NMR imaging. NMR velocimetry is a model-free and tracer-free experimental means for quantitative and multi-dimensional flow visualization. Hyperpolarization of (129)Xe provided sufficient NMR signal to overcome the low density of the dilute gas phase, and its long coherence time allows for true velocity vector mapping. In this study, the diverging gas flow around and wake patterns immediately behind a sphere could be vectorally visualized and quantified. In a similar experiment, the flow over an aerodynamic model airplane body revealed a less disrupted flow pattern.
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Song-I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Kimberly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pines