Small-scale phase organization through large-scale inputs in a turbulent boundary layer

A synthetic large-scale motion is excited in a flat plate turbulent boundary layer experiment and its influence on small-scale turbulence is studied. The synthetic scale is seen to alter the average natural phase relationships in a quasi-deterministic manner, and exhibit a phase-organizing influence on the directly coupled small-scales. The results and analysis presented here are of interest from a scientific perspective, and also suggest the possibility of engineering schemes for favorable manipulation of energetic small-scale turbulence through practical large-scale inputs.