Simultaneous imaging and interferometric turbule visualization in a high-velocity mixing/shear layer

A single-jet supersonic mixing/shear layer simulator in which two high speed video data acquisition systems simultaneously sample the flow region has been used to characterize the structure of turbulence in a high-speed mixing/shear layer and its degradation effect on an optical test beam. The experiment imaged a point source through the flow field. Correlations are shown to exist between the turbulent structure of the flow field and specific aerooptic distortions, offering the foundations for real time error correction of optical degradations associated with hypersonic flight.