Instabilities of the von Kأ،rmأ،n Boundary Layer

Abstract

Research on the von Kأ،rmأ،n boundary layer extends back almost 100 years but remains a topic of active study, which continues to reveal new results; it is only now that fully nonlinear direct numerical simulations (DNS) have been conducted of the flow to compare with theoretical and experimental results. The von Kأ،rmأ،n boundary layer, or rotatingdisk boundary layer, provides, in some senses, a simple threedimensional boundarylayer model with which to compare other more complex flow configurations but we will show that in fact the rotatingdisk boundary layer itself exhibits a wealth of complex instability behaviors that are not yet fully understood.