On the stability of heterogeneous shear flows. Part 2

1963 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W. Miles
Keyword(s):  
Shear Flow ◽  
Wave Speed ◽  
Neutral Curve ◽  
Wave Number ◽  
Neutral Curves ◽  
Stratified Shear Flow ◽  
Neutral Mode ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Small Disturbances

Small disturbances relative to a horizontally stratified shear flow are considered on the assumptions that the velocity and density gradients in the undisturbed flow are non-negative and possess analytic continuations into a complex velocity plane. It is shown that the existence of a singular neutral mode (for which the wave speed is equal to the mean speed at some point in the flow) implies the existence of a contiguous, unstable mode in a wave-number (α), Richardson-number (J) plane. Explicit results are obtained for the rate of growth of nearly neutral disturbances relative to Hølmboe's shear flow, in which the velocity and the logarithm of the density are proportional to tanh (y/h). The neutral curve for this configuration, J = J0(α), is shown to be single-valued. Finally, it is shown that a relatively simple generalization of Hølmboe's density profile leads to a configuration having multiple-valued neutral curves, such that increasing J may be destabilizing for some range (s) of α.

The barotropic stability of the mean winds in the atmosphere

1962 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 397-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank B. Lipps
Keyword(s):  
Maximum Amplitude ◽  
Neutral Curve ◽  
Wave Number ◽  
Maximum Value ◽  
Beta Effect ◽  
Neutral Curves ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Approach Zero ◽  
Barotropic Current

This paper considers the stability of a barotropic current on a beta earth. The motion is assumed to be horizontal, non-divergent and barotropic. The current is taken to be of the formU(y)=Asech2by+B. The perturbations are required to approach zero asyapproaches ± ∞. We introduce the non-dimensional wave-numberland a parameter χ, which is a measure of the rotation effect. χ is inversely proportional to β.There are only two kinds of perturbations: symmetric disturbances (those with maximum amplitude aty= 0) and antisymmetric disturbances (those with zero amplitude aty= 0). We find the neutral curve in the (χ,l2)-plane for both types of disturbances. The rates of amplification in the immediate vicinity of the neutral curves are also found. It is seen that the beta effect, which is due to the earth's rotation, tends to stabilize the current. For the symmetric disturbances we find a band of unstable wavelengths when χ > 1/2; and for large χ the estimated curve of the maximum value of the imaginary part of the phase velocity is asymptotic to the lower branch of the neutral curve. The antisymmetric disturbances are more stable than the symmetric disturbances.

The onset of convective instability in a triply diffusive fluid layer

1989 ◽  
Vol 202 ◽  
pp. 443-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arne J. Pearlstein ◽  
Rodney M. Harris ◽  
Guillermo Terrones
Keyword(s):  
Rayleigh Number ◽  
Linear Stability ◽  
Fluid Layer ◽  
Neutral Curve ◽  
Interesting Consequence ◽  
Stability Criteria ◽  
Neutral Curves ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Rayleigh Numbers ◽  
Periodic Bifurcation

The onset of instability is investigated in a triply diffusive fluid layer in which the density depends on three stratifying agencies having different diffusivities. It is found that, in some cases, three critical values of the Rayleigh number are required to specify the linear stability criteria. As in the case of another problem requiring three Rayleigh numbers for the specification of linear stability criteria (the rotating doubly diffusive case studied by Pearlstein 1981), the cause is traceable to the existence of disconnected oscillatory neutral curves. The multivalued nature of the stability boundaries is considerably more interesting and complicated than in the previous case, however, owing to the existence of heart-shaped oscillatory neutral curves. An interesting consequence of the heart shape is the possibility of ‘quasi-periodic bifurcation’ to convection from the motionless state when the twin maxima of the heart-shaped oscillatory neutral curve lie below the minimum of the stationary neutral curve. In this case, there are two distinct disturbances, with (generally) incommensurable values of the frequency and wavenumber, that simultaneously become unstable at the same Rayleigh number. This work complements the earlier efforts of Griffiths (1979a), who found none of the interesting results obtained herein.

The effect of boundaries on the plane Couette flow of granular materials: a bifurcation analysis

1999 ◽  
Vol 397 ◽  
pp. 203-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. NOTT ◽  
M. ALAM ◽  
K. AGRAWAL ◽  
R. JACKSON ◽  
S. SUNDARESAN
Keyword(s):  
Shear Flow ◽  
Granular Materials ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Numerical Continuation ◽  
Infinite Plane ◽  
Wall Boundary Conditions ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Oriented Parallel

The tendency of granular materials in rapid shear ow to form non-uniform structures is well documented in the literature. Through a linear stability analysis of the solution of continuum equations for rapid shear flow of a uniform granular material, performed by Savage (1992) and others subsequently, it has been shown that an infinite plane shearing motion may be unstable in the Lyapunov sense, provided the mean volume fraction of particles is above a critical value. This instability leads to the formation of alternating layers of high and low particle concentrations oriented parallel to the plane of shear. Computer simulations, on the other hand, reveal that non-uniform structures are possible even when the mean volume fraction of particles is small. In the present study, we have examined the structure of fully developed layered solutions, by making use of numerical continuation techniques and bifurcation theory. It is shown that the continuum equations do predict the existence of layered solutions of high amplitude even when the uniform state is linearly stable. An analysis of the effect of bounding walls on the bifurcation structure reveals that the nature of the wall boundary conditions plays a pivotal role in selecting that branch of non-uniform solutions which emerges as the primary branch. This demonstrates unequivocally that the results on the stability of bounded shear flow of granular materials presented previously by Wang et al. (1996) are, in general, based on erroneous base states.

Wave-induced distortions of a slightly stratified shear flow: a nonlinear critical-layer effect

1973 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 727-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Haberman
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Diffusivity ◽  
Shear Flow ◽  
Finite Amplitude ◽  
Critical Layer ◽  
Mean Temperature ◽  
Layer Effect ◽  
Stratified Shear Flow ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Wave Induced

A slightly stratified shear flow is considered when the effects of nonlinearity, viscosity and thermal diffusivity are in balance in the critical layer. Finite amplitude essentially non-diffusive neutral waves exist only if the mean temperature, velocity and vorticity profiles are distorted such that small jumps in these quantities occur across the critical layer.

Numerical Computation of the Stability of Plane Poiseuille Flow

1978 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Wolf ◽  
Z. Lavan ◽  
H. J. Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
Stream Function ◽  
Poiseuille Flow ◽  
Numerical Technique ◽  
Finite Amplitude ◽  
Wave Number ◽  
Plane Poiseuille Flow ◽  
Governing Equations ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Successive Over Relaxation ◽  
Small Disturbances

The hydrodynamic stability of plane Poiseuille flow to infinitesimal and finite amplitude disturbances is investigated using a direct numerical technique. The governing equations are cast in terms of vorticity and stream function using second-order central differences in space. The vorticity equation is used to advance the vorticity values in time and successive over-relaxation is used to solve the stream function equation. Two programs were prepared, one for the linearized and the other for the complete disturbance equations. Results obtained by solving the linearized equations agree well with existing solutions for small disturbances. The nonlinear calculations reveal that the behavior of a disturbance depends on the amplitude and on the wave number. The behavior at wave numbers below and above the linear critical wave number is drastically different.

Neutral eigensolutions of the stability equation for stratified shear flow

1969 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 673-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Thorpe
Keyword(s):  
Differential Equation ◽  
Shear Flow ◽  
Analytical Form ◽  
Analytic Solutions ◽  
Stability Equation ◽  
Hypergeometric Differential Equation ◽  
Stratified Shear Flow ◽  
Parallel Shear Flow ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Simple Analytical Form

Many of the known analytic solutions of the equation for neutral disturbances to a stably stratified, inviscid, parallel shear flow are shown to belong to a wider family of solutions when a transformation to the hypergeometric differential equation is possible. Two particular cases in which the transformation can be made are examined in some detail and the solutions are expressed in a simple analytical form. A number of novel solutions are presented as examples.

The stability of an incompressible two-dimensional wake

1972 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. E. Mattingly ◽  
W. O. Criminale
Keyword(s):  
Reference Frames ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Spatial Reference ◽  
Spatial Reference Frames ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Transverse Oscillations ◽  
Small Disturbances

The growth of small disturbances in a two-dimensional incompressible wake has been investigated theoretically and experimentally. The theoretical analysis is based upon inviscid stability theory wherein small disturbances are considered from both temporal and spatial reference frames. Through a combined stability analysis, in which small disturbances are permitted to amplify in both time and space, the relationship between the disturbance characteristics for the temporal and spatial reference frames is shown. In these analyses a quasi-uniform assumption is adopted to account for the continuously varying mean-velocity profiles that occur behind flat plates and thin airfoils. It is found that the most unstable disturbances in the wake produce transverse oscillations in the mean-velocity profile and correspond to growing waves that have a minimum group velocity.Experimentally, the downstream development of the wake of a thin airfoil and the wave characteristics of naturally amplifying small disturbances are investigated in a water tank. The disturbances that develop are found to produce transverse oscillations of the mean-velocity profile in agreement with the theoretical prediction. From the comparison of the experimental results with the predictions for the characteristics of the most unstable waves via the temporal and spatial analyses, it is concluded that the stability analysis for the wake is to be considered solely from the more realistic spatial viewpoint. Undoubtedly, this conclusion is also applicable to other highly unstable flows such as jets and free shear layers.In accordance with the disturbance vorticity distribution as determined from the spatial model, a description of the initial development of a vortex street is put forth that contrasts with the description given by Sato & Kuriki (1961).

Viscous and inviscid centre modes in the linear stability of vortices: the vicinity of the neutral curves

2008 ◽  
Vol 603 ◽  
pp. 1-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID FABRE ◽  
STÉPHANE LE DIZÈS
Keyword(s):  
Axial Flow ◽  
Neutral Curve ◽  
Numerical Results ◽  
Asymptotic Results ◽  
Asymptotic Description ◽  
Vortex Model ◽  
Neutral Curves ◽  
Trailing Vortices ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Wave Limit

In a previous paper, We have recently that if the Reynolds number is sufficiently large, all trailing vortices with non-zero rotation rate and non-constant axial velocity become linearly unstable with respect to a class of viscous centre modes. We provided an asymptotic description of these modes which applies away from the neutral curves in the (q, k)-plane, where q is the swirl number which compares the azimuthal and axial velocities, and k is the axial wavenumber. In this paper, we complete the asymptotic description of these modes for general vortex flows by considering the vicinity of the neutral curves. Five different regions of the neutral curves are successively considered. In each region, the stability equations are reduced to a generic form which is solved numerically. The study permits us to predict the location of all branches of the neutral curve (except for a portion of the upper neutral curve where it is shown that near-neutral modes are not centre modes). We also show that four other families of centre modes exist in the vicinity of the neutral curves. Two of them are viscous damped modes and were also previously described. The third family corresponds to stable modes of an inviscid nature which exist outside of the unstable region. The modes of the fourth family are also of an inviscid nature, but their structure is singular owing to the presence of a critical point. These modes are unstable, but much less amplified than unstable viscous centre modes. It is observed that in all the regions of the neutral curve, the five families of centre modes exchange their identity in a very intricate way. For the q vortex model, the asymptotic results are compared to numerical results, and a good agreement is demonstrated for all the regions of the neutral curve. Finally, the case of ‘pure vortices’ without axial flow is also considered in a similar way. In this case, centre modes exist only in the long-wave limit, and are always stable. A comparison with numerical results is performed for the Lamb–Oseen vortex.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document