On the mechanism by which nose bluntness suppresses second-mode instability

A physical mechanism by which nose bluntness suppresses second-mode instability is proposed.Considered are 7 degree half-angle straight cones with nose bluntness radii of 0.15 mm, 3.556 mm,5 mm, 9.525 mm, 12.7 mm and 25.4 mm at tunnel conditions relevant to the AFOSR-Notre Dame Large Mach 6 Quiet Tunnel. It is shown that second-mode suppression is achieved via entropy layer modulation of the basic state density gradient. A weakening of the density gradient disrupts the acoustic resonance necessary to sustain second-mode growth. These results are consistent with the thermoacoustic interpretation which posits that second-mode instability can be modeled as thermoacoustic resonance of acoustic energy trapped within an acoustic impedance well.Furthermore, the generalized inflection point criterion of Lees and Lin is applied to develop a criterion for the existence of second-mode instability based on the strength of the basic state density gradient.