Visualization of sinusoidal and varicose instabilities of streaks in a boundary layer

Journal article, 2006

Nonlinear instabilities of boundary layer streaks are investigated experimentally. Extensive measurements visualizing the sinusoidal and varicose instabilities of streaky structures at nonlinear stage of the breakdown process in boundary layer are presented. The flow behaviour in the course of spatial evolution of the streaky structures with a secondary high-frequency disturbance generated on them is discussed. Various scenarios of origination and development of coherent vortex structures examined in physical experiments are considered. Specific features of the development of sinusoidal and varicose cases of destruction of the steady streamwise streaks are demonstrated, such as transverse and streamwise modulations of the streak by the secondary-disturbance frequency, appearance of new streaky structures in the downstream direction, and emergence and evolution of unsteady Λ-shaped structures localized in space in both cases.