The hypersonic strong-interaction regime for the flow of a viscous, heat-conducting compressible fluid past a flat plate is analysed using the Navier–Stokes equations as a basis. It is assumed that the fluid is a perfect gas having constant specific heats, a constant Prandtl number σ, whose numerical value is of order one, and a viscosity coefficient varying as a power, ω, of the absolute temperature. Limiting forms of solutions are studied as the free-stream Mach number M, the free-stream Reynolds number based on the plate length RL, and the interaction parameter x = {(γM2)2+ω/RL}½, go to infinity.

Through the use of asymptotic expansions and matching, it is shown that, for (1−ω) > 0, three distinct layers for which similarity exists make up the region between the shock wave and the plate. The behaviour of the flow in these three layers is analysed.