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Fluid dynamics

Turbulence spreads like wildfire

A simple model captures the key features of the transition from smooth to turbulent flow for a fluid in a pipe. The findings pave the way for more-complex models and may have engineering ramifications. See Letter p.550

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Figure 1: Pipe flow.

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Correspondence to Michael D. Graham.

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Graham, M. Turbulence spreads like wildfire. Nature 526, 508–509 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/526508a

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