Effect of streamwise vortices on Tollmien-Schlichting waves

Abstract

The method of multiple scales is used to determine a first-order uniform expansion for the effect of counter-rotating steady streamwise vortices in growing boundary layers on oblique Tollmien–Schlichting waves. The results show that such vortices have a strong tendency to amplify oblique Tollmien-Schlichting waves having a spanwise wavelength that is twice the wavelength of the vortices. An analytical expression is derived for the growth rates of these waves. These exponential growth rates increase linearly with increasing amplitudes of the vortices. Numerical results are presented. They suggest that this mechanism may dominate the instability.