On the stability of an infinite swept attachment line boundary layer

Abstract The instability of an infinite swept attachment line boundary layer is considered in the linear régime. The basic three-dimensional flow is shown to be susceptible to travelling wave disturbances that propagate along the attachment line. The effect of suction on the instability is discussed and the results suggest that the attachment line boundary layer on a swept wing can be significantly stabilized by extremely small amounts of suction. The results obtained are in excellent agreement with the available experimental observations.