On the road toward a history of turbulence, this book focuses on what the actors in this research field have identified as the turbulence problem. Turbulent flow rose to prominence as one of the most persistent challenges in science. At different times and in different social and disciplinary settings, the nature of this problem has changed in response to changing research agendas.

This book does not seek to provide a comprehensive account, but instead an exemplary exposition on the environments in which problems become the subjects of research agendas, with particular emphasis on the first half of the 20th century.

Provides historical insights into current research topics in turbulence Positions specific issues in turbulence research in a broader context Encourages students from engineering, physics and mathematics to explore this challenging field

Autorentext

Michael Eckert studied physics at the Technical University of Munich and received his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from the University of Bayreuth in 1979. He has dedicated his career to the history of physics. Since 1981, Dr. Eckert has been engaged in several projects on the history of modern physics at the Deutsches Museum, Munich. He has authored and co-authored books and articles on such diverse topics as the history of solid-state physics, plasma physics, and fluid dynamics. Since 2012, he has been a member of the Editorial Board of the European Physical Journal H: Historical Perspectives on Contemporary Physics (EPJH).

Inhalt

Chapter 1.- Hydrodynamics versus hydraulics.- Chapter 2.- The turbulence problem in the 1920s.- Chapter 3.- The rise of statistical theories of turbulence.- Chapter 4.- Turbulence in WW II.- Chapter 5.- Expectations and hopes: 19461961.- Chapter 6.- Computational approaches.- Chapter 7.- Chaos and turbulence.- Chapter 8.- Turbulence as a challenge for the historian.