Instabilities caused by oscillating accelerations normal to a viscous fluid-fluid interface

Abstract

Two incompressible viscous fluids with different densities meet at a planar interface. The fluids are subject to an externally imposed oscillating acceleration directed normal to the interface. The resulting basic-state flow is motionless with an internal pressure oscillation. We discuss the linear evolution of perturbations to this basic state. General viscosities and densities for the two fluids are considered but a Boussinesq equal-viscosity approximation is discussed in particular detail. For this case we show that the linear evolution of a perturbation to the interface subject to an arbitrary oscillating acceleration is governed by a single integro-differential equation. We apply a Floquet analysis to the fluid system for the case of sinusoidal forcing. Parameter regions of subharmonic, harmonic, and untuned modes are delineated. The critical Stokes-Reynolds number is found as a function of the surface tension and the difference in density and viscosity between the two fluids. The most unstable perturbation wavelengths are determined. For zero surface tension these are found to be short, on the order of a small multiple of the Stokes viscous lengthscale. The critical Stokes-Reynolds number and the most unstable perturbation wavelengths are found to be insensitive to the degree of density and viscosity differences between the two fluids.