The Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference (AFMC) is one of the longest running scientific conferences in Australia, spanning over a remarkable forty years since its inception in Perth, 1962. A landmark feature of the series is the comprehensive and almost borderless aspects of fluid dynamics which are covered with each continuing conference.
Although the conference has its roots embedded firmly in Australia and New Zealand, it is embraced broadly internationally, popular not only for the contemporary, relaxed environment in which cutting-edge research is presented, but also for the collective authority by virtue of the combination of leading researchers, research students and keynote speakers who participate.
The University of Sydney has been fortunate to have the opportunity to host the conference twice in recent years, the first being in 1995 for the 12th AFMC. At that time, the Batchelor Lecture was introduced and it is timely and noteworthy that the 2004 Batchelor Lecture should be delivered by Professor Robert Antonia who studied at the University of Sydney. Last year we celebrated Bob's 60th birthday and this year we are delighted that he is elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. Bob is one of the leading world authorities on turbulence and we are very grateful to have him join us.
The 15th AFMC features four keynote lectures and six invited lectures covering leading-edge topics ranging from re-entry aerodynamics to granular flows. The spectrum of papers presented at this year's conference include subject matter from bubbles and drops, vortex dynamics, separated flows, acoustics, jets and wakes, turbulence, experimental and computational fluid dynamics and several other key areas in fluid dynamics.
International interest this year has brought papers from regions including South and East Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. In effect, this intercontinental participation reflects the ongoing success and recognition of the AFMC as a leading conference. Each paper included in the proceedings of the 15th AFMC has been prepared in accordance with the Scientific Advisory Committee's instructions and has been subjected to formal peer review as specified by the Australian Federal Department of Education Science and Training (DEST). The editors and the conference organizers express their sincere thanks to the authors who prepared these papers and to the Scientific Advisory Committee and others in the fluid mechanics community who assisted with the reviews.
Finally, as the Chair I gratefully acknowledge the immense contributions of my colleagues on the Scientific Advisory and Organizing committees who devoted their valuable time to make this conference a success.
Masud Behnia
On behalf of the Organizing Committee