Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 October 2008
The flow following a sudden change in the wall temperature in a laminar boundary layer, which was originally incompressible and steady, is studied. The temperature to which the wall is raised is supposed large enough to bring about density changes in the boundary layer. The details of the flow immediately after the change in wall temperature are analysed for a general boundary layer. Two specific examples are considered and for these the manner in which the new steady state is achieved is also investigated.