A flame is a complex system, being governed by the aerodynamics
of fluid flows, the molecular transport of heat, mass and momentum,
and the kinetics of chemical reactions. In order to quantify and
understand its structure, we use various laser based diagnostic
techniques to determine the variations of velocity, temperature and
species concentrations. These experimental results are then
compared with those obtained from detailed numerical simulations.
Such a comparison yields crucial information on the dominant
physical and chemical processes controlling the flame behavior.