Nonlinear surface wave instability for electrified Kelvin fluids

A weakly nonlinear approach is utilized here to discuss surface wave instability for two superposed electrified fluids of Kelvin type. The influence of a vertical electric field is discussed. The linear form for equations of motion is solved in the light of nonlinear boundary conditions. The method of multiple scales is used for the purpose of nonlinear perturbation. The surface wave response is governed by the well-known nonlinear Ginzburg-Landau equation rather than the transcendental dispersion relation in the linear scope. Although linear stability conditions are not available for arbitrary viscosity, the nonlinear analysis allowed deriving necessary and sufficient stability conditions. Moreover, at the marginal state, the nonlinear scope for stability is discussed through its dependence on the wavetrain frequency, in which short-wave disturbance is assumed to relax the linear transcendental terms. Besides the linear stability constraint, the nonlinear scope gives an additional constraint on the wavetrain frequency. Nonlinear stability criteria are derived and are performed in view of a nondimensional form. Furthermore, the nonlinear analysis is repeated for an arbitrary wave disturbance. A suitable choice for dimensionless form made it possible to relax transcendental terms included in stability conditions. Numerical calculations at the marginal state show that both the vertical electric field and the stratified fluid density play a dual role in the stability criteria. This dual role is the opposite to the dual role that the stratified viscosity plays in the stability profile. For the marginal state representation, numerical examination shows that elasticity plays a dual role in the stability criteria in a manner similar to that of the viscosity behaviour. (c) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.