The density variation around supersonic projectiles are characterized using quantitative high-speed schlieren photography. This experiment uses a method for acquiring the density variation using a light-dark boundary. As a projectile passes through the light-dark boundary, a schlieren effect can be visualized. A streak image is then produced to reconstruct the projectile. A lens- based schlieren system with a high-speed digital camera recorded images which were used to obtain density fields via the quantitative schlieren calibration process to serve as a comparison with the experimental streak image. The projectiles were 10° half-angle sharp cones fired from a 0.50"-caliber barrel. The projectiles were imaged while traveling at approximately 740 m/s, or Mach 2.10

Visit Dr. Hargather's group web page for more information: www.nmt.edu/mjh