The SIM8 ultra, high-speed camera from Schlieren Imaging has captured images of a shock wave created by a triggered high voltage air spark gap. A spark gap is made up of two conducting electrodes which are held apart from one another in a space filled with a gas. The gaseous environment is designed to allow an electric spark to pass between the two conductors. The high speeds of this process have presented difficulties for researchers.
Schlieren Imaging’s SIM8 ultra, high-speed camera has allowed researchers to image at 5 million frames per second with 35 nanosecond exposures to capture a series of pseudo Schlieren images. The images displayed the shockwave resulting from the triggering of a 1.5KV air spark gap. Schlieren imaging demonstrated the initiation of shock waves due to air density gradient and the accompanying change in refractive index. The shock waves were deduced from distortions of the background pattern resulting from the change in refractive index due to density gradients.