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arXiv · 2609.00740

Scaling of boundary-layer disturbances exposed to free-stream turbulence

Pierre Ricco
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Abstract

We present theoretical results related to the experimental findings of Matsubara and Alfredsson (2001) on the scaling of the energy spectra of the Klebanoff modes, i.e. streamwise-elongated vortical disturbances generated by free-stream turbulence in a flat-plate transitional boundary layer. The scaling is explained by a model that describes the streamwise evolution of the streamwise and spanwise energy spectra. The theoretical framework is based on the quasi-steady asymptotic solution of the boundary-region equations, on an axial-symmetric model of the free-stream spectrum, and on the spectral response of the boundary layer to the external perturbations.

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Pierre Ricco. 2026-09-01. Scaling of boundary-layer disturbances exposed to free-stream turbulence. https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.00740

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