On the dynamical relevance of coherent vortical structures in turbulent boundary layers

The dynamical relevance of vortex tubes and vortex sheets in a wall-bounded supersonic turbulent flow at Mach number M=2 and Reynolds number Re(theta) approximate to 1350 is quantitatively analysed. The flow in the viscous sublayer and in the buffer region is characterized by intense, elongated vorticity tongues forming a shallow angle with respect to the wall, whose characteristic length is 0(200) wall units and whose size in the cross-stream direction is 0(50) wall units. The formation of vortex tubes takes place starting from y(+) approximate to 10, and it is mainly associated with the roll-up and the interaction of vortex sheets. The analysis of the non-local dynamical effect of tubes and sheets suggests that the latter have a more important collective effect, being closely associated with low-speed streaks, and being responsible for a substantial contribution to the mean momentum balance and to the production of turbulence kinetic energy and enstrophy.