Improving Bloodstain Pattern Analysis with Fluid Dynamics

In Physics of Fluids, researchers model the behavior of blood drops during secondary atomization to examine how the phenomenon affects a crime scene. The team examined different starting droplet sizes, confirming their model with experiments. They found the effect of secondary atomization was significant and predictable: The smaller droplets were easier to sweep up by the firearm’s gases and turn around toward the victim. This discovery could explain how a short-range shooter might stay clean from blood stains.