Citation

Kabaliuk N, Jermy MC, Williams E, Laber TL, Taylor MC. Forensic Sci. Int. 2014; 245C: 107-120.

Affiliation

Christchurch Science Centre, Institute of Environmental Sciences and Research, 27 Creyke Road, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.10.020

PMID

25447183

Abstract

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (BPA) provides information about events during an assault, e.g. location of participants, weapon type and number of blows. To extract the maximum information from spatter stains, the size, velocity and direction of the drop that produces each stain, and forces acting during flight, must be known. A numerical scheme for accurate modeling of blood drop flight, in typical crime scene conditions, including droplet oscillation, deformation and in-flight disintegration, was developed and validated against analytical and experimental data including passive blood drop oscillations, deformation at terminal velocity, cast-off and impact drop deformation and breakup features. 4th order Runge-Kutta timestepping was used with the Taylor Analogy Breakup (TAB) model and Pilch and Erdman's (1987) expression for breakup time. Experimental data for terminal velocities, oscillations, and deformation was obtained via digital high-speed imaging. A single model was found to describe drop behavior accurately in passive, cast off and impact scenarios. Terminal velocities of typical passive drops falling up to 8m, distances and times required to reach them were predicted within 5%. Initial oscillations of passive blood drops with diameters of 1mm

Language: en