Nonlinear two-dimensional water waves with arbitrary vorticity (Q6102680)

This manuscript investigates the two-dimensional water-wave problem with a non-zero vorticity field in a fluid volume with a flat bed and a free surface. The authors' primary focus is on the nonlinear equations of motion for surface and volume variables expressed via the Dirichlet-Neumann operator and the Green function of the Laplace operator within the fluid domain, providing new explicit expressions for both. The study explores the field of a point vortex and its interaction with the free surface, particularly in small-amplitude long-wave Boussinesq and KdV regimes, leading to systems of coupled equations for the dynamics of the point vortex and the time evolution of the free surface variables. The paper delves into the dynamics of rotational ideal fluid flows with a free boundary, highlighting the vorticity's pivotal role in fluid motion analysis. The historical and theoretical underpinnings of the Hamiltonian formulation in water-wave theory are discussed, detailing the significance of the Dirichlet-Neumann operator in various long-wave approximations of the water-wave problem. The manuscript provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical advancements in Hamiltonian formulations for various fluid systems, including irrotational waves, two-layer flows, and stratified flows with constant or piecewise constant vorticity. In addressing the core scientific problem, the authors reformulate the nonlinear equations of motion utilizing the Dirichlet-Neumann operator and the Green function of the Laplace operator. They present a detailed mathematical treatment, outlining the governing equations in terms of surface and volume variables and providing explicit expressions for key mathematical structures. The paper discusses the intricacies of the interaction between rotational motion in the fluid's bulk and the surface motion, emphasizing the critical role of the moving boundaries, which are the fluid's free surface. The manuscript progresses to investigate the specific scenario of a point vortex submerged beneath the free surface, offering an alternative form of the Green function on an infinite strip and examining the vortex's motion influenced by the free surface and flat bottom. The study concludes with a theorem summarizing the nonlinear governing equations for wave-vorticity interactions in terms of the pertinent variables. Overall, this academic work contributes significantly to the understanding of two-dimensional water waves with arbitrary vorticity, offering theoretical insights and mathematical formulations that deepen the comprehension of complex fluid dynamics.