Aerodynamic mixing of a Mach 2 jet controlled with rectangular flat tab with length equal to the nozzle exit diameter, placed at locations 0.25D, 0.5D and 0.75D, downstream of the nozzle exit, has been studied in the presence of different levels of pressure gradients corresponding to nozzle pressure ratio (NPR) range from 3 to 8. The mixing modification associated with shifted tabs is compared with the mixing caused by the same tab at the nozzle exit (0D). The aerodynamic mixing caused by the mass transporting small-scale vortices shed from the edges of the tab placed at the shifted position is found to be appreciably larger than the tab at nozzle exit, for some levels of pressure gradient. For some other levels of nozzle expansion, mixing caused by the shifted tab is comparable to that of tab at nozzle exit. The waves present in the core of the jet controlled with shifted tab were found to be weaker than that of the jet controlled with tab at nozzle exit. At a marginally underexpanded state corresponding to NPR 8, jet core length reduction caused by the tab at 0.75D is about 39.21%, which is closer to the reduction of 40.2%, caused by the tab at 0D. The corresponding core length reduction for tab at 0.25D and 0.5D are 38.16% and 20%, respectively.

The role of streamline curvature-driven favourable pressure gradients in modifying the turbulence structure of a Mach 4.9, high-Reynolds-number (${\mathit{Re}}_{\theta } = 43\hspace{0.167em} 000$) boundary layer is examined. Three pressure gradient cases ($\beta = (\mathrm{d} p/ \mathrm{d} x)({\delta }^{\ast } / {\tau }_{w} )= 0. 07, - 0. 3$ and $- 1. 0$) are characterized via particle image velocimetry. The expected stabilizing trends in the Reynolds stresses are observed, with a sign reversal in the Reynolds shear stress in the outer part of the boundary layer for the strongest favourable pressure gradient considered. The increased transverse normal strain rate and reduced principal strain rate are the primary factors. Reynolds stress quadrant events are redistributed, such that the relative differences between the quadrant magnitudes decreases. Very little preferential quadrant mode selection is observed for the strongest pressure gradient considered. Two-point correlations suggest that the turbulent structures are reoriented to lean farther away from the wall, accompanied by a slight reduction in their characteristic size, consistent with previous flow visualization studies. This reorientation is more pronounced in the outer, dilatation-dominated region of the boundary layer, whereas the alteration in structure size is more pronounced nearer the wall, where the principal strain rates are larger. In addition, integration of a simplified form of a Reynolds stress transport closure model provided a framework to assess the role of the strain-rate field on the observed Reynolds shear stresses. Given the simple geometry, the present data provide a suitable test bed for Reynolds stress transport and large-eddy model development and validation.