Quentin Robinson (UNC-CH), GMA Seminar

Title:  Surface Waves Generated by Fluid Flow

Abstract:  Fluid flow past an obstacle and the resulting free surface profile are considered.  Special attention is paid to cases in the long wave asymptotic limit in which the Froude number is close to one (i.e. the resonant case).  Analytically, linear wave theory as well as nonlinear wave models, such as the forced Korteweg-de Vries (fKdV) equation, are used to make predictions about the behavior of the profile of the fluid surface.  Linear wave theory predicts the formation of capillary waves upstream of the obstacle and their wavelength well for moderate flow speeds.  Several forcing conditions are considered, including forcing amplitude that oscillates in time.  Numerically, the fKdV equation modeling flow over topography is approximated to determine the behavior of the surface generated by the flow in question.  Analytical and numerical results are compared with experimental data.