Abstract: | The fact that the stability of the boundary layer on smooth plane bodies (in particular, on a flat plate) at Mach numbers M >5 is very high and laminar-turbulent transition takes place at points fairly distant from the leading edge of the model has given rise to the question: how difficult is it to induce transition (in particular, by means of a step) in a laminar boundary layer at M >5. The present article is devoted to the solution of this problem.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 176–179, January–February, 1989.The authors are grateful to Yu. A. Safronov for assistance with the flow visualization. |