D. J. Tritton – författare

The author here presents the dynamics of incompressible flow from the viewpoint of the physicist for the benefit of students and others in a variety of disciplines who need to understand fluid motion. The book will be of value to a wide range of readers, including those in the Earth sciences, physicists, engineers, and applied mathematicians. In this new edition much of the material is new or rewritten but the purpose and style of the first edition are retained. Particular emphasis is given to information obtained by experiment and observation, in addition to analysis of the equations of motion, the book's primary concern is to convey fundamental understanding of the behaviour of fluids in motion. Special features include an introductory non-mathematical treatment of three particular flow configurations: extensive consideration of topics of geophysical importance: an unusually detailed coverage of topics of which our knowledge comes primarily from experimental data; numerous photographs to illustrate the phenomena discussed; and a concluding chapter which demonstrates, by descriptions and photographs of a variety of examples, the wide applicability of fluid mechanics. New topics in this second edition include double diffusive convection and modern ideas about dynamical chaos - mainly but not only in relation to transition to turbulence. The discussion of instabilities has been restructured and the treatments of separation and of convection in horizontal layers much extended.

To classify a book as 'experimental' rather than 'theoretical' or as 'pure' rather than 'applied' is liable to imply umeal distinctions. Nevertheless, some Classification is necessary to teIl the potential reader whether the book is for him. In this spirit, this book may be said to treat fluid dynamies as a branch of physics, rather than as a branch of applied mathematics or of engineering. I have often heard expressions of the need for such a book, and certainly I have feIt it in my own teaching. I have written it primariIy for students of physics and of physics-based applied science, aIthough I hope others may find it useful. The book differs from existing 'fundamental' books in placing much greater emphasis on what we know through laboratory experiments and their physical interpretation and less on the mathe­ matieal formalism. It differs from existing 'applied' books in that the choice of topics has been made for the insight they give into the behaviour of fluids in motion rather than for their practical importance. There are differences also from many existing books on fluid dynamics in the branches treated, reflecting to some extent shifts of interest in reeent years. In particular, geophysical and astrophysical applications have prompted important fundamental developments in topics such as conveetion, stratified flow, and the dynamics of rotating fluids. These developments have hitherto been reflected in the contents of textbooks only to a limited extent.