Receptivity of hypersonic boundary layer due to fast-slow acoustics interaction

Abstract

The objective of receptivity is to investigate the mechanisms by which external disturbances generate unstable waves. In hypersonic boundary layers, a new receptivity process is revealed, which is that fast and slow acoustics through nonlinear interaction can excite the second mode near the lower-branch of the second mode. They can generate a sum-frequency disturbance though nonlinear interaction, which can excite the second mode. This receptivity process is generated by the nonlinear interaction and the nonparallel nature of the boundary layer. The receptivity coefficient is sensitive to the wavenumber difference between the sum-frequency disturbance and the lower-branch second mode. When the wavenumber difference is zero, the receptivity coefficient is maximum. The receptivity coefficient decreases with the increase of the wavenumber difference. It is also found that the evolution of the sum-frequency disturbance grows linearly in the beginning. It indicates that the forced term generated by the sum-frequency disturbance resonates with the second mode.