Stability of periodic waves in shallow water

Abstract

Waves of small but finite amplitude in shallow water can occur as periodic wave trains of permanent shape in two known forms, either as Stokes waves for the shorter wavelengths or as cnoidal waves for the longer wavelengths. Calculations are made here of the periodic wave trains of permanent shape which span uniformly the range of increasing wavelength from Stokes waves to cnoidal waves and beyond. The present investigation is concerned with the stability of such permanent waves to periodic disturbances of greater or equal wavelength travelling in the same direction. The waves are found to be stable to infinitesimal and to small but finite disturbances of wavelength greater than the fundamental, the margin of stability decreasing either as the fundamental wave becomes more nonlinear (i.e. contains more harmonics), or as the wavelength of the periodic disturbance becomes large compared with the fundamental wavelength. The decreasing margin of stability is associated with an increasing loss of spatial periodicity of the wave train, to the extent that small but finite disturbances can cause a form of interaction between consecutive crests of the disturbed wave train. In such a case, a small but finite disturbance of wavelength n times the fundamental wavelength converts the wave train into n interacting wave trains. The amplitude of the disturbance subharmonic is then nearly periodic, the time scale being the time taken for repetitions of the pattern of interactions. When the disturbance is of the same wavelength as the permanent wave, the wave is found to be neutrally stable both to infinitesimal and to small but finite disturbances.