简介：Theseparating/reattachingflowoveranaxisymmetricbackward-facingstepisanalyzedexperimentallybymeansofparticleimagevelocimetry(PIV).ThemainpurposeofthemeasurementsistheinvestigationofthemeanflowfieldaswellasoftheReynoldsstressdistributionsataMachnumberof0.7andataReynoldsnumberof3.3x10~5basedonthestepheight.Duetothestrongprogressofopticalflowmeasurementsinthelastyearsitwaspossibletoresolveallflowscalesdownto180μm(≈1%ofthestepheight)withhighprecision.ThankstothehighspatialresolutionitwasfoundforthefirsttimethattheReynoldsstressdistributionfeaturesalocalminimumbetweenthefirstpartoftheshearlayerandaregioninsidetherecirculationregion.Thisimpliesamorecomplexwakedynamicsthanassumedbefore.