A Thermally Induced Singularity in a Wake

摘要

The two-dimensional laminar flow past a heated horizontal plate is studied in a distinguished limit of large Reynolds and Grashof numbers. The limiting problem constitutes an interaction between the potential flow and the wake flow. It turns out that solutions exist only if the interaction parameter κ = Gr/Re~(9/4) is below a critical value. When approaching this critical value a singularity in the wake forms. The nature of this singularity will be analyzed.