Marginally unstable Holmboe modes

DOI10.1063/1.2730545zbMATH Open1146.76310arXivphysics/0610258OpenAlexW2008580252MaRDI QIDQ3532064FDOQ3532064

Authors: A. Alexakis 

Publication date: 3 November 2008

Published in: Physics of Fluids (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Marginally unstable Holmboe modes for smooth density and velocity profiles are studied. For a large family of flows and stratification that exhibit Holmboe instability, we show that the modes with phase velocity equal to the maximum or the minimum velocity of the shear are marginally unstable. This allows us to determine the critical value of the control parameter R (expressing the ratio of the velocity variation length scale to the density variation length scale) that Holmboe instability appears R=2. We then examine systems for which the parameter R is very close to this critical value. For this case we derive an analytical expression for the dispersion relation of the complex phase speed c(k) in the unstable region. The growth rate and the width of the region of unstable wave numbers has a very strong (exponential) dependence on the deviation of R from the critical value. Two specific examples are examined and the implications of the results are discussed.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0610258

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• On Holmboe's instability for smooth shear and density profiles
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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Stratification effects in viscous fluids (76D50) Parallel shear flows in hydrodynamic stability (76E05) Stratification effects in inviscid fluids (76B70)

Cites Work

• Note on a paper of John W. Miles
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• Stability analysis of stratified shear flows with a monotonic velocity profile without inflection points
• The stability of a sheared density interface
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• Spatial Holmboe instability
• On the nonlinear evolution of wind-driven gravity waves
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• Holmboe's instability in exchange flows
• Multiple linear instability of layered stratified shear flow
• Symmetric and nonsymmetric Holmboe instabilities in an inviscid flow
• On Holmboe's instability for smooth shear and density profiles

Cited In (12)

• Holmboe instability in non-Boussinesq fluids
• Stability of shear flows with multilayered density stratification and monotonic velocity profiles having no inflection points
• Symmetric Holmboe instabilities in a laboratory exchange flow
• Linear stability analysis of inclined two-layer stratified flows
• Finite amplitude holmboe waves
• Spatial versus temporal instabilities in a parametrically forced stratified mixing layer
• Stratified shear flow instabilities at large Richardson numbers
• The viscous Holmboe instability for smooth shear and density profiles
• On Holmboe's instability for smooth shear and density profiles
• Instabilities in a staircase stratified shear flow
• Holmboe wave fields in simulation and experiment
• Stability boundaries and sufficient stability conditions for stably stratified, monotonic shear flows

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