The method of molecular dynamics (the Bird system) has been used to mathematically model a planar, strongly underexpanded supersonic jet that encounters a hypersonic flow of rarefied gas. Particular attention is paid to the structure and parameters of the shock layer close to the plane of symmetry. The results of calculations are presented for currents of a monatomic gas, simulating argon, with a Mach number of the external flow of M-infinity=5.48, a Mach number at the nozzle edge of M-a= 1, a ratio of the density at the nozzle edge to the density of the unperturbed flow equal to 130, and various stagnation temperatures of the external flow and of the jet. The evolution of the structure and the parameters of the shock layer as the Knudsen number Kn(infinity) varies from 0.02 to 0.35 is considered. The results are compared with the data calculated for the shock layer when argon flows around thermally insulated cylinders. The main features and regularities of the relaxation of the translational degrees of freedom of the gas for external and jet flows are considered. Data are presented on the form of the distribution function over velocities and its evolution as gas moves through the shock layers. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.[S1063-7842(98)00307-9].
