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On the instabilities of supersonic mixing layers: a high-Mach-number asymptotic theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 April 2006

Thomas F. Balsa  and
M. E. Goldstein
Thomas F. Balsa
Affiliation:
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
M. E. Goldstein
Affiliation:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH 44135, USA
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Abstract

The stability of a family of tanh mixing layers is studied at large Mach numbers using perturbation methods. It is found that the eigenfunction develops a multilayered structure, and the eigenvalue is obtained by solving a simplified version of the Rayleigh equation (with homogeneous boundary conditions) in one of these layers which lies in either of the external streams. Our analysis leads to a simple hypersonic similarity law which explains how spatial and temporal phase speeds and growth rates scale with Mach number and temperature ratio. Comparisons are made with numerical results, and it is found that this similarity law provides a good qualitative guide for the behaviour of the instability at high Mach numbers.

In addition to this asymptotic theory, some fully numerical results are also presented (with no limitation on the Mach number) in order to explain the origin of the hypersonic modes (through mode splitting) and to discuss the role of oblique modes over a very wide range of Mach number and temperature ratio.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 216 , July 1990 , pp. 585 - 611
Copyright
© 1990 Cambridge University Press

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