Abstract. The nonlinear interfacial waves between viscous immiscible liquids have been analyzed, using the concepts of viscous potential flow and Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The method of multiple scales is used for determining the evolution equations that are near and on the marginal state of the linear theory. We use the modulation concept in solving these equations to determine the stability criteria. Different numerical examples are considered that show the system is at greater risk of instability when the velocity of the stream is larger, whereas the effects of viscosity can be stabilizing or destabilizing.
Introduction.We know from Joseph et al. [1,2,3,4,5,6,7] that the NavierStokes equations are satisfied by potential flow; the viscous term is not found when the vorticity is zero, but the viscous stresses are not zero. The viscous stresses enter into the viscous potential flow analysis of free surface problems through the normal stress balance at the interface. Using viscous potential flow analysis, Joseph et al. have given good approximations to fully viscous flows. Joseph, Belanger and Beavers [3] constructed a viscous potential flow analysis of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The normal stress is an extensional rather than a shear stress and it is activated by waves on the liquid; these waves are induced more by pressure than shear. For this reason, we can conclude that the neglect of shearing stress can be justified in wave motions in which the viscous resistance to wave motion is not negligible; this is a situation which may be well approximated by viscous potential flow. Joseph and Liao [1, 2] gave a review for the theory of viscous potential flow. Funada and Joseph [4] studied the viscous potential flow analysis of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a channel and they gave a linear study for the problem in an extended form. Their results match with the experiments. The growth rates of the fully viscous fluid analysis and viscous potential flow are matched. The success of viscous potential flow theory in the analysis of Rayleigh-Taylor instability has led to its use in the analysis of Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) theory (Funada and Joseph [4]) given in this work. Wang and Joseph [7] constructed purely irrotational theories of the Stokes problem which are in good agreement with Lamb's exact solution.