Singular points of vector fields and the boundary layer in the flow of a liquid around a rigid body
No. 254, 1980
(Differential equations and mechanics)
India ink and pencil on paper, 36x52 cm.
Nearly resembling a melting honeycomb in space, this image in fact reflects the motions of a fluid as it flows over a bumpy, complex object. As the flow moves past, it seems to mold the space around the object, creating smooth surfaces in some parts and ruffled eddies in others. The most interesting physical actions take place at the so-called boundary layer, or region near the object's edge where the fluid first meets up with it. With a vector field, we can model the fluid motion, showing flow lines along which particles move. At the singular points in the vector fields, interesting forms well up in the liquid, such as sources, sinks, and saddle points. In one instance, where onrushing fluids run up against the object's surface perpendicular to the lines of flow, a saddle point is formed, creating a shape that is visually as well as mathematically interesting.
