Numerical methods are used to investigate the motion of a horizontal vortex pair through a stably stratified atmosphere. The vortices carry with them a mass of fluid whose density differs from that of the air through which it descends, and the surface of this accompanying fluid becomes a vortex sheet, which is modelled by a set of discrete line vortices.

It is shown that, at first, the vortex pair slows down with the shape of the envelope of the accompanying fluid remaining constant. Later, vorticity concentrates at the rear, initiating detrainment and causing a downward acceleration of the vortex pair. Throughout the motion, the vortices approach each other.

The characteristics of some flows that occur when fluid is driven through a curved tube are disclosed for an imposed pressure gradient of pulsatile nature, varying sinusoidally with time about a non-zero mean. The fully developed motion depends on three parameters, a traditional Dean number D, a frequencyrelated parameter β and a secondary Reynolds number Rs, it being assumed that the pipe's radius of curvature is much greater than its cross-sectional dimensions. The theoretical description of the flow field is extended from the steady and purely oscillatory limits hitherto studied to all the key situations arising when Rs is of order unity and one of the other parameters β or D takes a large or small value. During this analysis, which in certain cases involves the interactions between steady boundary layers and Stokes layers, a number of pulsatile motions are revealed and the manner in which at high frequencies the secondary motion can change its direction, from inward ‘centrifuging’ to outward, is also explained. Two further illustrations of pulsating motions, stemming from the steady limit, produce an alternative mode of transition from steady boundary-layer flow to the boundary-layer flows occurring when Rs ∼ 1. The study, which mainly deals with the flow in an arbitrary cross-section, lays down a formal basis for deriving the fundamental attributes of many physical situations, some of which are expressible in terms of crucial modifications to, or combinations of, flow problems whose properties are already appreciated.

Experiments are described in which a body was towed at large Richardson numbers through a uniformly stratified fluid, with particular attention being given to the parameter range in which diffusive effects are likely to play an important role. When the Richardson number is only moderately large (i.e. less than about 106) it appears that a linear viscous diffusive theory fails to model the experimental observations, but at larger Richardson numbers it seems that such a theory is a strong candidate for modelling the physical situation. At Richardson numbers of about 103 a non-diffusive viscous model (see the theories of Graebel 1969; Janowitz 1971) appears to give a fairly good description of the experimental results, except for some discrepancies between the theories and the observed flows in the wake downstream from the body. However, the conditions under which the experiments were carried out were not completely favourable for the application of these theories.

A brief survey and new interpretations of some of the work on the rotatingfluid counterparts of the present experiments are also given. In view of the theoretical similarities between the two situations we have tried to assess and compare (where possible) the results of experimental investigations in each field and we feel that the observations in the rotating-fluid experiments are in good qualitative agreement with the present results. No measurements of the drag acting on the body were made in the present experiments but this has been done carefully in the rotating-fluid experiments, and the results of those measurements are in poor agreement with the theoretical predictions. Because of the close similarities between the axisymmetric model for viscous rotating fluids (cf. Moore & Saffman 1969) and the two-dimensional model for diffusive stratified fluids (Freund & Meyer 1972), an explanation for the discrepancy should be sought before the linear viscous diffusive model can be applied with any confidence to the flow of stratified fluids at very large Richardson numbers.

The necessity for developing a boundary-layer theory in the case of blast waves stems from the fact that inviscid flow solutions often yield physically unrealistic results. For example, in the classical problem of the so-called non-zero counterpressure explosion, one obtains infinite temperature and zero density in the centre at all times even after the shock front deteriorates into a sound wave. In reality, this does not occur, as a consequence, primarily, of heat transfer that modifies the structure of the flow field around the centre without drastically affecting the outer region. It is profitable, therefore, to consider the blast wave as a flow field consisting of two regions: the outer, which retains the properties of the inviscid solution, and the inner, which is governed by flow equations including terms expressing the effects of heat transfer and, concomitantly, viscosity. The latter region thus plays the role of a boundary layer. Reported here is an analytical method developed for the study of such layers, based on the matched asymptotic expansion technique combined with patched solutions.

The linearized initial-value problem for a two-dimensional, unbounded, exponentially stratified, plane Couette flow is considered. The solution is used to evaluate the evolution of wave-packet perturbations to the mean flow for all Richardson numbers J > ¼, demonstrating that a consistent wave-packet approach to wave propagation in these flows is possible for all J > ¼. It is found that the vertical influence of a wave-packet perturbation is limited to a distance of order (J − ¼)½/k0, where k0 is the magnitude of the initial central wave vector. These results are used to clarify the J [gsim ] ¼ conclusions of an earlier treatment by Booker & Bretherton.

The paper presents a comprehensive analysis of gas motion created by a strong explosion in an atmosphere whose density is an exponential function of altitude. For the near field (i.e. short times after initiation), an exact analytical solution of the equations of motion is obtained by means of a perturbation technique. For the far field (i.e. long times after initiation), a similarity solution associated with a logarithmic front trajectory is derived. The two are shown to be well matched with each other. Finally, a fully-algebraic approximate solution is given that qualitatively reproduces all the salient features of the exact and asymptotic solutions, while quantitatively it is in fair agreement with their results.

The exit condition at the trailing edge of a nozzle for slightly unsteady flow has been investigated experimentally. This problem plays a crucial role in sound transmission through nozzles with flow. The measuring technique used is new and is based on the synchronization of a laser beam to the wave motion of a small smoke filament in the boundary layer leaving the nozzle. The resolution of the jet flow deflexion measurements is of the order of 1–3μm. The authors found the jet deflexion envelope to have a nearly parabolic shape near the nozzle edge. The size of this ‘parabolic’ region decreases with decreasing Strouhal number. This statement applies to the motion of the exterior border of the boundary layer at the dividing streamline between flow originating from the interior of the nozzle and flow coming from outside. It was found that the unsteady flow problem near the edge remains linear for fluctuating velocities of small magnitude.

The work reported in part 1 has been extended to cover flows past circular cylinders with wake splitter plates having 2 [les ] L/D [les ] 7 and to include flows past normal flat plates with splitter plates having L/D [les ] 3·7. Pressure distributions and wake Strouhal numbers were measured and visualization studies carried out. The results obtained indicate that no further changes would be produced by lengthening the splitter plates beyond the limits tested.

The combined results of parts 1 and 2 provide coherent descriptions of the effects of wake splitter plates for all values of L/D of significance for the two profiles, which are representative of two distinct classes of bluff bodies, viz., those with cross-sections of curvilinear shape for which the flow separation points are not determined uniquely by the geometry and those for which the separation points are fixed.

The effect of the simultaneous action of a uniform magnetic field and a uniform angular velocity on the linear stability of the Bénard layer to time-dependent convective motions is examined in the Boussinesq approximation. Four models, characterized by the relative directions of the magnetic field, angular velocity and gravitational force, are discussed under a variety of boundary conditions. Apart from a few cases, the treatment applies when the Taylor number T and the Chandrasekhar number Q (the square of the Hartmann number) are large. (These parameters are dimensionless measures of angular velocity and magnetic field, respectively.)

It is shown that the motions at the onset of instability can be of three types. If the Coriolis forces dominate the Lorentz forces, the results for the rotating non-magnetic case are retained to leading order. If the Coriolis and Lorentz forces are comparable, the minimum temperature gradient required for instability is greatly reduced. Also, in this case, the motions that ensue at marginal stability are necessarily three-dimensional and the Taylor-Proudman theorem and its analogue in hydromagnetics are no longer valid. When the Lorentz forces dominate the Coriolis forces, the results obtained are similar to those for the magnetic non-rotating case at leading order.

The most unstable mode is identified for all relations T = KQα, where K and α are positive constants, taking into account both time-dependent and time-independent motions

Various types of boundary layers developing on different boundaries are also examined.

The paper concerns one- and two-dimensional models of steady seepage flow in unconfined aquifers and the relationship between them. The first part gives a new proof of Charnyi's result that one- and two-dimensional theory yield the same value for the flow rate in a horizontal aquifer or porous bed between vertical ends and shows the extent to which it can be generalized to non-uniform or anisotropic media. The second part solves the highly two-dimensional problem of flow from a line source (line of springs) in an otherwise impermeable, sloping stratum and compares the result with the predictions of a one-dimensional Dupuit–Pavlovsky approach. Confirmatory experiments using the Hele Shaw analogue of seepage flow are also reported.

The interaction between convection in a horizontal fluid layer heated from below and an ambient vertical magnetic field is considered. The analysis is based on the Boussinesq equations for two-dimensional convection rolls and the assumption that the amplitude A of the convection and the Chandrasekhar number Q are small. It is found that the magnetic energy is amplified by a factor of order R½m, where Rm is the magnetic Reynolds number. The ratio between the magnetic and kinetic energies can reach values much larger than unity. Although the magnetic field always inhibits convection, this influence decreases with increasing amplitude of convection. Thus finite amplitude onset of steady convection becomes possible at Rayleigh numbers considerably below the values predicted by linear theory.