Experimental investigation of natural disturbances in a hypersonic boundary layer on a flat plate

The characteristics of natural disturbances are studied experimentally at Mach numbers M∞ = 6 in a laminar boundary layer on a heat-insulated plate with a sharp leading edge. The model was a flat steel plate 10 mm thick. Its planform was a trapezoid 250 mm long with bases of 140 and 110 mm. The sweep angle of the model edges was 14°30′. The radius of the edge bluntness was less than 0.05 mm. The model was placed horizontally at zero angle of attack in the central plane of the test section of the wind tunnel. Experimental results on the stability of natural disturbances in the boundary layer of the flat plate are presented.