Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-5g6vh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-27T02:23:26.591Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Water-wave instability induced by a drift layer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 April 2006

E. A. Caponp ,
H. C. Yuen ,
F. A. Milinazzo  and
P G. Saffman
E. A. Caponp
Affiliation:
TRW Redondo Beach, CA 90278, USA
H. C. Yuen
Affiliation:
TRW Redondo Beach, CA 90278, USA
F. A. Milinazzo
Affiliation:
Royal Roads Military College, Victoria, BC, Canada
P G. Saffman
Affiliation:
Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A simple water-wave instability induced by a shear flow is re-examined, using a cubic equation first derived by Stern & Adam (1973) for a piecewise constant vorticity model. The instability criteria and the growth rate are computed. It is found that this mechanism is effective only if the surface drift velocity exceeds the minimum wave speed for capillary–gravity waves, and only if the drift-layer thickness lies within a band which depends on the wavelength and the drift velocity.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 222 , January 1991 , pp. 207 - 213
Copyright
© 1991 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Kawai, S.: 1977 On the generation of wind waves relating to the shear flow in water. A preliminary study. Sci. Rep. Tohoku Univ. ser. 5, Geophys. 24, 1–17.Google Scholar
Milinazzo, F. A. & Saffman, P. G., 1990 Effect of a thin wind drift layer on capillary-gravity waves of permanent form. J. Fluid Mech. 216, 93–101.Google Scholar
Stern, M. E. & Adam, Y. A., 1973 Capillary waves generated by a shear current in water. Mem. Soc. R. Sci. Liège ser 6, 6, 179–185.Google Scholar
Voronovich, A. G., Lobanov, E. D. & Rybak, S. A., 1980 On the stability of gravitational-capillary waves in the presence of a vertically nonuniform current. Izv. Atm. Ocean Phys. 16, 220–222.Google Scholar