Applications of fluid dynamics and mechanics of continua in forensics

Abstract

Here, an overview is given of a collection of works published by Physics of Fluids under an umbrella-title Flow and Forensics. These works span the two fields, which currently coexist without too much interaction, namely, fluid mechanics and forensic science. Nevertheless, both fields reveal mutual interest for quite some time. The present work demonstrates that not only a tangential interaction, but a wide mutual polymer-like reptation might be beneficial for both fields. The present set of works already demonstrates that sub-fields of fluid mechanics, such as multi-phase flows, gas dynamics, and rheology, fluid mechanical topics, such as drops and vortices, and tools, such as de Laval nozzle, are not alien at all to forensic science subjects and could be beneficial for them. In its turn, forensic science can enrich fluid mechanics by such subjects as blood pattern analysis, blood and brain spatter analysis, prediction of the blood spatter origin, and delineation of a staged suicide (a homicide) from a real one.