Relaxation-Induced Suppression of Vortex Disturbances in a Molecular Gas

The influence of thermal excitation on a finite-amplitude vortex disturbance in a shear flow of a molecular gas is studied in a model problem. The evolution of such vortex structures is typical of both the nonlinear stage of the laminar–turbulent transition and for developed turbulence. Since the excitation level was assumed to be comparatively low, full Navier–Stokes equations for a compressible heat-conducting gas were used in calculations; nonequilibrium was taken into account by the coefficient of bulk viscosity. As the bulk viscosity increases in the range of realistic values, the disturbance-energy damping rate in a weakly compressible flow increases approximately by 10%. The increase in the Mach number enhances the effect of disturbance suppression.