Reflection of parallel rays by a two-dimensional body of nearly maximal resistance

• Author(s): Gouveia, Paulo D.F.
• Date: 2009
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10198/1962
• Origin: Biblioteca Digital do IPB
• Subject(s): Body of maximal resistance; Newton’s aerodynamic problem
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English

Description

This Demonstration shows a class of nonconvex bodies that maximize resistance as they move forward while slowly rotating through a rarefied medium. This class of shapes yields a resistance very close to the theoretical maximum, improving all previous results found by the authors.