A small-disturbance solution is obtained for the steady two-dimensional flow over a sinusoidal wall of an inviscid gas in vibrational or chemical non-equilibrium. The results are based on a single, linear, third-order partial differential equation, which plays the same role here as does the Prandtl–Glauert equation in equilibrium flow. The solution is valid throughout the range from subsonic to supersonic speeds and for all values of the rate parameter from equilibrium to frozen flow (in both of which limits it reduces to Ackert's classical solution of the Prandtl–Glauert equation). The results illustrate in simple fashion some of the properties of non-equilibrium flow, such as the occurrence of pressure drag at subsonic speeds and the absence of the discontinuous phenomena that characterize the Prandtl–Glauert theory when the flow changes from subsonic to supersonic.

Measurements are described of the static pressures and velocities of detonation waves in hydrogen-oxygen mixtures, together with the pressures arising on their normal reflexion at the closed end of the explosion tube. Two explosion tubes, of diameter 10 and 1·6 cm, were employed to study the diameter effect on the wave pressures. The experimental results are compared with calculated values of the wave properties for a range of hydrogen-oxygen mixtures initially at atmospheric pressure. In the 10 cm tube the static pressures and velocities are found to agree well with theory for mixtures with hydrogen content in the approximate range 50-75%; the evidence from pressure profiles and wave velocities indicates that mixtures outside this range may not be able to support ideal C–J waves. Detonation waves in all the mixtures studied in the 1·6 cm tube are found to be subideal. A possible explanation, in terms of energy loss to the tube wall, of the discrepancy between experiment and theory is discussed. Spinning occurs in mixtures near the limits of detonation in the smaller tube; the measured frequencies are found to be in reasonable agreement with the values predicted by the theories of Manson (1947) and Fay (1952).

The effects of density variation in the absence of gravity on the stability of a horizontal shear layer between two streams of uniform velocities is investigated. The density is assumed to decrease exponentially with height and the velocity is represented by U(y) = tanh y.

The method of small disturbances is employed to obtain the neutral stability curve. It is demonstrated that disturbances with wave-numbers larger than the width of the transition layer are attenuated.

Qualitative agreement with experimental evidence is obtained.

A procedure is given for translating boundary-value problems of gas dynamics from microscopic form into approximately equivalent continuum form. The continuum formulations involve state-variables that are either half-space moments, or complete moments of the molecular distribution functions. Moment equations derived from the kinetic equations are reduced to a determinate set by representing the distribution functions as sums of ‘modified Maxwellian functions based on various characteristic temperatures and velocities’. The particular choice of such a representation depends on the Knudsen number and on the nature of the microscopic boundary conditions.

A general formula is developed which permits a calculation of the pressure drop arising from the slow steady flow of a viscous fluid through a circular cylinder for arbitrarily assigned conditions of velocity on the bounding surfaces of the cylinder. In particular, the diminution in pressure can be calculated directly from the prescribed boundary velocities without requiring a detailed solution of the equations of motion. Hence it is possible to compute, in comparatively simple fashion, the magnitude of this macroscopic parameter for a large variety of complex motions which would normally present great analytical difficulties.

By way of illustration the additional pressure drop arising from the presence of a point force situated along the axis of a cylinder is calculated. The additional force required to maintain the motion in the presence of the obstacle is exactly twice the magnitude of the point force itself.

Part I describes measurements of the drag on circular cylinders, made by observing the bending of quartz fibres, in a stream with the Reynolds number range 0·5-100. Comparisons are made with other experimental values (which cover only the upper part of this range) and with the various theoretical calculations.

Part II advances experimental evidence for there being a transition in the mode of the vortex street in the wake of a cylinder at a Reynolds number around 90. Investigations of the nature of this transition and the differences between the flows on either side of it are described. The interpretation that the change is between a vortex street originating in the wake and one originating in the immediate vicinity of the cylinder is suggested.

A previous analysis for the generation of surface waves by a parallel shear flow (Miles 1957 a) is extended by: (a) presenting results based on a more accurate solution of the differential equation; (b) imposing the boundary condition at the surface wave, rather than at the mean surface; and (c) including the dominant viscous term in the complete Orr-Sommerfeld equation. The modification (a) yields an energy transfer somewhat smaller than that predicted previously but of the same order of magnitude as, and in rather better agreement with, observation, while (b) has no effect and (c) only a small effect for gravity waves. The analysis is based on the equations of motion in intrinsic co-ordinates (rather than the usual Orr-Sommerfeld equation) and may be of interest in other problems of hydrodynamic stability.

The Kelvin-Helmholtz model for the formation of surface waves at the interface between two fluids in relative motion is generalized for parallel shear flows. It is assumed that phase changes across the flow are negligible and hence that the aerodynamic pressure on the wave is in phase with its displacement (rather than its slope). A variational formulation is established and leads to the determination of appropriately weighted means for the velocity profiles. The principal application is to flow of a light inviscid fluid over a viscous liquid; it is shown that the principle of exchange of stabilities is applicable to such a configuration, and a critical wind speed in satisfactory agreement with observation is predicted for an air-oil interface. The results also are applied to an air-water interface and lead to the conclusion that Kelvin-Helmholtz instability of such an interface is unlikely at commonly observed wind speeds. A more general formulation of the Kelvin-Helmholtz boundary-value problem and variational principle, allowing for variations in both velocity and density, is given in two appendices.

The motion of a fluid inside a rotating annulus of square cross-section, whose dimensions are small compared with the distance from the axis of rotation, is considered. The rigid side walls are held at different constant temperatures and the fluid motions that occur are strongly influenced by Coriolis accelerations. A detailed study is made of the azimuthally independent state, a Hadley cell, in the limit of small thermal Rossby number. It is convenient to employ a boundary layer type analysis, essentially with respect to the Taylor number and all the imposed boundary conditions are rigorously satisfied.

An entirely geostrophic thermal wind is found to obtain over the main body of the fluid. The circulation in the plane of the annular cross-section is entirely confined within narrow boundary layers and consists of a superposition of three cellular motions: a cell occupying the cross-section and two additional cells confined to the side-wall boundary layers. These motions are intimately related to the rotational constraint. The temperature distribution and its relation to the conductive and convective processes are determined.