Aerodynamics as a research area investigates the behavior of gases, primarily air, and the forces and flow phenomena arising when bodies move through them or when gas flows around stationary objects. It encompasses theoretical, computational, and experimental study of flow regimes (incompressible, compressible, transonic, supersonic, hypersonic), boundary layers, turbulence, flow separation, and aerodynamic forces and moments (lift, drag, pitching, rolling, yawing). The field develops and applies governing equations (e.g., Navier–Stokes, Euler), turbulence models, and numerical methods (CFD), as well as wind-tunnel and flight-testing techniques, to optimize performance, stability, control, and efficiency of vehicles and structures interacting with fluid flows.
An analysis of hoverfly flight shows that wing design, not faster flapping, enables the smallest species to generate enough lift to fly.
Plants & Animals
Sep 30, 2025
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19
Don't be disappointed if all the fluffy seeds of a dandelion don't fly away with a single blow. The gust of wind from your lungs may be strong, but the dandelion's natural desire to control how its seeds are dispersed is ...
One of the world's most popular sports, badminton is played by around 220 million people across the globe. As with other racket sports, a well-executed serve can establish a consequential advantage at the start of a rally.
General Physics
Aug 19, 2025
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68
Scientists at the University of Stuttgart's Institute of Aerodynamics and Gas Dynamics (IAG) have produced a novel dataset that will improve the development of turbulence models. With the help of the Hawk supercomputer at ...
Soft Matter
Jul 24, 2025
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92
Professional cycling teams can reduce air drag for their protected rider by up to 76% by adopting specific formations different from the traditional single paceline, according to new research from Heriot-Watt University in ...
General Physics
Jul 21, 2025
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94
Butterflies' flight trajectories often appear random or chaotic, and compared with other hovering insects, their bodies follow seemingly mysterious, jagged, jerking motions.
General Physics
May 13, 2025
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87
When you put your hand out the window of a moving car, you feel a force pushing against you called drag. This force opposes a moving vehicle, and it's part of the reason why your car naturally slows to a stop if you take ...
Space Exploration
May 7, 2025
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48
At hypersonic speeds, complexities occur when the gases interact with the surface of the vehicle, such as boundary layers and shock waves. Researchers in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at The Grainger College of ...
General Physics
Mar 26, 2025
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57
Key to winning a cricket match is tricking the other team's batters—no small feat, as bowlers bowl cricket balls nearly 100 miles per hour. In recent years, a bowling technique that has become popular involves keeping the ...
General Physics
Aug 13, 2024
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161
In a research collaboration between the group of Professor Hiroshi Yokoyama of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and KOBE STEEL, LTD., flow, and acoustic fields in an expanding pipe with orifice plates were studied ...
General Physics
Apr 2, 2024
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