Numerical analysis of a supersonic rarefied gas flow past a flat plate

A uniform supersonic flow of a rarefied gas past a flat plate at zero angle of attack is considered, and the steady behavior of the gas around the plate is investigated numerically on the basis of the Boltzmann-Krook-Welander equation (or the so-called BGK model) and the diffuse reflection boundary condition. An accurate finite-difference analysis, which gives the correct description of the discontinuity of the velocity distribution function of the gas molecules occurring in the gas, is carried out, and the features of the flow field (the velocity distribution function and the macroscopic variables such as the density, temperature, and flow velocity of the gas), in particular, those around the leading and trailing edges, are clarified for a wide range of the Knudsen number. The drag acting on the plate and the energy transferred to it are also obtained accurately. In addition, on the basis of the results for small Knudsen numbers, the behavior of the gas around the leading edge of a semi-infinite plate is investigated in detail. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.