It is generally recognized that the physical phenomena related to the problem of separation are very important in the design of hypersonic configurations. When separation occurs in high Mach number flows, the changes in pressure distribution and heat transfer rate can have catastrophic effects in the vehicle. The presence of hot spots at separation and reattachment points changes the characteristics of the flow over the vehicle and can cause failure in the thermal protection system, as was evidenced by the tragic loss of Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003. In general, separation occurs due to the interaction of external flows with various desired or undesired design features present on the vehicle surface, such as protuberances, notches, cavities, gaps, or steps.
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