Visualization of unsteady flow structures in a high-performance computing environment

Simulation and interpretation of small-scale transitional flow structures needs high-performance computers and the appropriate software tools. Using the equipment installed at HLRS as an example, our possibilities to accomplish high-precision rendering of instantaneous flow fields are illustrated. These include the possibility to carry out collaborative visualizations between scientists via the internet. Different methods for feature identification and visualization are compared, mainly for vortices, but inclusion of shear layers is also possible. The developed tools for extraction and quantification of vortices can be used for a quantitative modeling of local flow dynamics which is necessary to increase our opportunities to understand such dynamics.