Analysis of compressible mixing layers using a dilatational covariances model

Compressible mixing layers are analyzed using a dilatational covariances model based on a pseudo-sound constitutive relation. The calculations are used to evaluate the different physical phenomena affecting compressible mixing layers. The rate of growth of the mixing layer is retarded by both the compressible dissipation and the pressure-dilatational covariances. The pressure-dila-tational, essentially a nonequilibrium effect, reduces the amount of excess production over dissipation available for the turbulence energy growth. The pseudo-sound model also includes a history dependent portion: this is also investigated. All constants in the model and used in these computations are predicted by the theory.