Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 July 2016
The problem considered in the present note is that of the laminar boundary layer created by the motion of a strong shock wave. Such shock-induced boundary layers occur in shock tube flows behind the primary moving shock wave. For structural reasons, shock tubes frequently do not have very large diameters, so that such boundary layers often adversely affect the quality and duration of the test gas flow. The latter problem is studied, for example, in ref. 1 and to attempt such a problem a fairly detailed knowledge of the behaviour of shock-induced boundary layers is required. Such basic boundary-layer studies have been described in refs. 3-8 and the situation which occurs when the shock wave is strong is investigated here. The boundary-layer equations are expanded in a series form which involves a small parameter. This small parameter is shown to be the ratio of the gas densities fore and aft of a strong shock wave.
At present on leave of absence at the Dept of Mechanical Engineering, US Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California.