Generation of upper trailing counter-rotating vortices of a sonic jet in a supersonic crossflow: Generation of upper trailing CRVs of transverse sonic jet in a supersonic crossflow at Ma=2.7

Direct numerical simulations were conducted to investigate physical structures of a transverse sonic air jet injected into a supersonic air crossflow at a Mach number of 2.7. Simulations were run for two different jet-to-crossflow momentum flux ratios (J) of 1.85 and 5.5. The main averaged flow features around the transverse jet, such as major counter rotating vortices (CRVs) and trailing CRVs (TCRVs) were captured. The major CRVs form in the lateral portion of the jet plume and absorb other induced trailing vortices downstream of the jet plume. Upper trailing CRVs form above the major CRVs downstream of the jet barrel shock. The streamline analysis indicates that the upper trailing CRVs are related to the Mach disk. As the streamlines penetrate the lateral side of Mach disk where a strong shear condition exists, the baroclinic torque induces upper vorticities in the opposite rotating direction against the major CRVs. Downstream of the Mach disk, the baroclinic vorticity production along the streamlines tends to approach zero, which means no more torque is pumped into the farfield and the upper TCRVs are merged into the major CRVs by their suction