Schlieren and shadowgraph techniques are basic and valuable tools in
various scientific and engineering disciplines. They allow us to see the
invisible: the optical inhomogeneities in transparent media like air,
water, and glass that otherwise cause only ghostly distortions of our
normal vision.
These techniques are discussed briefly in many books and papers, but
there is no up-to-date complete treatment of the subject before now. The
book is intended as a practical guide for those who want to use these
methods, as well as a resource for a broad range of disciplines where
scientific visualization is important. The colorful 400-year history of
these methods is covered in an extensive introductory chapter accessible
to all readers.