Direct numerical simulation (DNS) is used to study the effect of individual (hemispherical) and distributed roughness on supersonic flat plate boundary layers. In both cases, roughness generates a shear layer and counter–rotating pairs of unsteady streamwise vortices. The vortices perturb the shear layer, resulting in trains of hairpin vortices and a highly unsteady flow. Mach 3.37 flow past a ...
