Video of Trombone Shockwave
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It isn't exactly linguistics, but on the theory that some of our readers are interested in acoustics, here is what is reported to be the first video of the shock wave generated by a trombone. It is pretty faint so I suggest going to full screen.
HP said,
May 28, 2011 @ 2:41 pm
I am interested in acoustics. Thanks for this.
Bill Poser said,
May 28, 2011 @ 2:45 pm
You're welcome.
Sili said,
May 28, 2011 @ 5:37 pm
What makes trombones special compared to say tubas or cornets?
Ray Girvan said,
May 28, 2011 @ 9:40 pm
@Sili: What makes trombones special
The long linear tube. I ran into the source paper a while back when I was writing an article on solitons. You put some pressure impulse into one end of a linear tube, and as it propagates, the wavefront sharpens up until it becomes a discontinuity (like a bore in a river).
Sili said,
May 29, 2011 @ 1:01 pm
Thank you. Now I feel stupid …
I'm reading up on partial differential equations at the moment, but obviously nothing has stuck.
Dan Lufkin said,
May 29, 2011 @ 8:13 pm
Differential equations, you say? Read this.
I don't see what's new. Maybe the ability to measure the velocity of the shock wave with schlieren illumination.