Phenomena

Flamethrowing

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Humans have long been fascinated by staring into flames, and the Slow Mo Guys carry on the grand tradition here with 4K, high-speed video of a flamethrower. Like firebreathers, a flamethrower’s fire is the result of a spray of tiny, volatile droplets of fuel. Once ignited, the spray becomes a turbulent jet of flames. Turbulent flows are known for having both large and small-scale structure, and there’s some really great close-ups showing this around the 2:00 mark. Also watch the edges of the flame, where the nearby air has gotten hot enough to shimmer. You can see how the trees in the background ripple and blur as the fire heats up the air and changes its density and refractive index. (Video credit: The Slow Mo Guys)

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