Nonlinear capillary instability of an axisymmetric infinite liquid column is investigated with an initial velocity disturbance consisting of a fundamental and one harmonic component. A third-order solution is developed using the method of strained co-ordinates. For the fundamental disturbance alone, the solution shows that a cut-off zone of wavenumbers (k) exists such that the surface waves grow exponentially below the cut-off zone, linearly in the middle of the zone (near k = 1), and an oscillatory solution exists for wavenumbers above the boundary of the zone. For an input including both the fundamental and a harmonic, all wave components grow exponentially when the fundamental is below the cut-off zone. Using a Galilean transformation, the solution is applied to a progressive jet issuing from a nozzle. The jet breaks into drops interspersed with smaller (satellite) drops for k < 0·65; no satellites exist for k > 0·65. It is shown theoretically that the formation of satellites can be controlled by forcing the jet with a suitable harmonic added to the fundamental.
