3-PULSE DIGITAL PARTICLE IMAGE VELOCIMETRY

A variation of particle image velocimetry is described that uses a thi rd, unequally spaced, laser pulse to resolve the direction of a veloci ty vector extracted from an image. The use of a CCD camera makes the c omplete process electronic and therefore quicker and more convenient. The analysis method produces correlation functions with fewer noise co rrelations, resulting in less vector drop-out. (C) 1995 Optical Societ y of America