Numerical investigations on supersonic vortex breakdown

Breakdown of a slender vortex caused by a normal shock is studied using a numerical solution of the Navier‐Stokes equations for unsteady, three‐dimensional, supersonic flow at a free stream Mach number of 1.6. The numerical results clearly reveal the time‐dependent flow structure for both the axial and the radial direction. The results compare well with recent experimental findings.