A Numerical and Asymptotic Investigation of Boundary-layer Wake Evolution

The evolution of four characteristically different velocityprofiles in the boundary layer at a trailing edge is studiedboth numerically and analytically; the complete wake flow iscomputed using a finite difference procedure and this is comparedwith asymptotic expansions of the flow in both the near wakeand the far wake. Two of the profiles have direct applicationto physical situations which include the flow in the wake ofa finite flat plate and the flow in the free shear layer downstreamof the point of separation of a supersonic stream from a planewall. The other two profiles demonstrate the structural changeswhich occur in the near wake when part of the initial profileis on the point of separation.