Parametric Surface Waves Research Articles

Parametric excitation surface waves at plasma boundary under action of p-polarized laser radiation

The parametric excitation of surface waves at the plasma boundary under the action of a p-polarized electromagnetic pump wave is analyzed. The instability, at which the pump wave decays into two surface electromagnetic TM modes, is considered. The dependence of the instability growth rate on the plasma electron density, the angle of incidence of the pump wave, and the direction of propagation of the excited surface waves is investigated. It is shown that the instability growth rate has a maximum value in the case when short-wave quasistatic surface waves are excited.

Remarks on Parametric Surface Waves in a Nonlinear and Non-Ideally Excited Tank

We studied free surface oscillations of a fluid in a cylinder tank excited by an electric motor with limited power supply. We investigated the possibility of parametric resonance in this system, showing that the excitation mechanism can generate chaotic response. Numerical experiments are carried out to present the existence of several types of regular and chaotic attractors. For the first time powers (power of the motor, power consumed by the damping force under fluid free surface oscillations, and a total power) are calculated, investigated, and shown for different regimes, regular and chaotic ones for parametric resonance interactions.

Phenomenological model of weakly damped Faraday waves and the associated mean flow

A phenomenological model of parametric surface waves (Faraday waves) is introduced in the limit of small viscous dissipation that accounts for the coupling between surface motion and slowly varying streaming and large-scale flows (mean flow). The primary bifurcation of the model is to a set of standing waves (stripes, given the functional form of the model nonlinearities chosen here). Our results for the secondary instabilities of the primary wave show that the mean flow leads to a weak destabilization of the base state against Eckhaus and transverse amplitude modulation instabilities, and introduces a longitudinal oscillatory instability which is absent without the coupling. We compare our results with recent one-dimensional amplitude equations for this system systematically derived from the governing hydrodynamic equations.

Noise induced bistability of parametric surface waves.

We report an experimental study on the effect of an external multiplicative noise on a subcritical bifurcation leading to the parametric amplification of surface waves. We show that the probability density function of the wave amplitude in the presence of noise has two maxima that do not correspond to any of the deterministic states. When the deterministic forcing is varied in the presence of noise, these most probable values give two new branches in the bifurcation diagram that involve a much larger difference in oscillation amplitude. The bistable region is also strongly enlarged. This noise induced bistability can be understood in the general framework of noise induced transitions.

Subcritical bifurcations and nonlinear balloons in faraday waves

Bicritical points at wave numbers k(b) larger than the critical wave numbers k(c) are found in parametric surface waves (Faraday waves) using both numerical simulations and nonlinear analysis. Because k(b)-k(c) is small, it is argued that subcritical bifurcations at k>k(b) can be easily observed in experiments. In the second part we present a generic argument predicting the existence of nonlinear states resembling a balloon outside the instability region. The prediction is confirmed in simulations and it is argued to apply to other systems with similar instability curves.

Unfamiliar vertically excited surface water waves

Parametric surface waves in water or liquefiable layers are described by a wave-type equation. Approximate solutions of this equation are presented. These solutions describe unfamiliar waves which can have properties of both standing waves and travelling waves. They are a new kind of waves which are not d’Alembert-type waves. Analytic expressions for different periodical wave patterns in the x–t plane are found. Theoretical results are compared with recent experimental data. It is noted that the solutions may be valid for different wave fields of Nature. According to the theory an infinite quantity of localised modes may be generated in the fields due to any periodical parametric excitation. Sometimes these modes are indistinguishable from particles. Thus the equation which is also valid for springs and lattices has a rich variety of nonlinear solutions. This variety is huge in comparison with a variety of solutions of ordinary differential equations.

Amplitude equation and pattern selection in Faraday waves.

A nonlinear theory of pattern selection in parametric surface waves (Faraday waves) is presented that is not restricted to small viscous dissipation. By using a multiple scale asymptotic expansion near threshold, a standing wave amplitude equation is derived from the governing equations. The amplitude equation is of gradient form, and the coefficients of the associated Lyapunov function are computed for regular patterns of various symmetries as a function of a viscous damping parameter gamma. For gamma approximately 1, the selected wave pattern comprises a single standing wave (stripe pattern). For gamma<<1, patterns of square symmetry are obtained in the capillary regime (large frequencies). At lower frequencies (the mixed gravity-capillary regime), a sequence of sixfold (hexagonal), eightfold, ...patterns are predicted. For even lower frequencies (gravity waves) a stripe pattern is again selected. Our predictions of the stability regions of the various patterns are in quantitative agreement with recent experiments conducted in large aspect ratio systems.

Numerical study of pattern formation in weakly damped parametric surface waves

We present a numerical study of parametrically driven surface waves in fluids of low viscosity. The equations governing fluid motion in the bulk and the appropriate boundary conditions at the free surface are approximated by a nonlocal set of equations involving surface coordinates alone, thus allowing the numerical analysis of the large aspect ratio limit (the aspect ratio being the ratio between the size of the system and the wavelength of the waves). The numerical calculation supports the predictions of a previously given multi-scale asymptotic analysis, yielding stable patterns of square symmetry above onset in the capillary dominated regime. In the case of mixed capillary-gravity waves, patterns of eight-fold symmetry are obtained, again in agreement with the predictions of the asymptotic expansion. These calculations provide indirect evidence about the stability of such patterns, analysis that is too involved to be carried out analytically.

Pattern Selection in Faraday Waves

We present a systematic nonlinear theory of pattern selection for parametric surface waves (Faraday waves), not restricted to fluids of low viscosity. A standing wave amplitude equation is derived from the Navier-Stokes equations that is of gradient form. The associated Lyapunov function is calculated for different regular patterns to determine the selected pattern near threshold. For fluids of large viscosity, the selected wave pattern consists of parallel stripes. At lower viscosity, patterns of square symmetry are obtained in the capillary regime (large frequencies). At lower frequencies (the mixed gravity-capillary regime), a sequence of six-fold (hexagonal), eight-fold, ... patterns are predicted. The regions of stability of the various patterns are in quantitative agreement with recent experiments conducted in large aspect ratio systems.

Pattern formation in weakly damped parametric surface waves

We present a theoretical study of nonlinear pattern formation in parametric surface waves for fluids of low viscosity, and in the limit of large aspect ratio. The analysis is based on a quasi-potential approximation to the equations governing fluid motion, followed by a multiscale asymptotic expansion in the distance away from threshold. Close to onset, the asymptotic expansion yields an amplitude equation which is of gradient form, and allows the explicit calculation of the functional form of the cubic nonlinearities. In particular, we find that three-wave resonant interactions contribute significantly to the nonlinear terms, and therefore are important for pattern selection. Minimization of the associated Lyapunov functional predicts a primary bifurcation to a standing wave pattern of square symmetry for capillary-dominated surface waves, in agreement with experiments. In addition, we find that patterns of hexagonal and quasi-crystalline symmetry can be stabilized in certain mixed capillary–gravity waves, even in this case of single-frequency forcing. Quasi-crystalline patterns are predicted in a region of parameters readily accessible experimentally.

Spontaneous Wave Pattern Formation in Vibrated Granular Materials.

This paper presents two-dimensional particle dynamics simulations of a vertically vibrated layer of granules, wherein a spontaneous formation of parametric surface waves appears. The investigation of the dynamic process and mechanism that leads to the formation of the granular surface waves has revealed that the dissipation coefficient in shear direction plays a crucial role in the formation of wave patterns. Scaling relations between the units in simulations and experiments are evaluated. Simulation results are shown to compare well with experimental ones.

Square patterns and quasipatterns in weakly damped Faraday waves.

Pattern formation in parametric surface waves is studied in the limit of weak viscous dissipation. A set of quasi-potential equations (QPEs) is introduced that admits a closed representation in terms of surface variables alone. A multiscale expansion of the QPEs reveals the importance of triad resonant interactions, and the saturating effect of the driving force leading to a gradient amplitude equation. Minimization of the associated Lyapunov function yields standing wave patterns of square symmetry for capillary waves, and hexagonal patterns and a sequence of quasi-patterns for mixed capillary-gravity waves. Numerical integration of the QPEs reveals a quasi-pattern of eight-fold symmetry in the range of parameters predicted by the multiscale expansion.

Secondary Instabilities and Spatiotemporal Chaos in Parametric Surface Waves.

A two dimensional model is introduced to study pattern formation, secondary instabilities and the transition to spatiotemporal chaos (weak turbulence) in parametric surface waves. The stability of a periodic standing wave state above onset is studied against Eckhaus, zig-zag and transverse amplitude modulations (TAM) as a function of the control parameter $\varepsilon$ and the detuning. A mechanism leading to a finite threshold for the TAM instability is identified. Numerical solutions of the model are in agreement with the stability diagram, and also reveal the existence of a transition to spatiotemporal chaotic states at a finite $\varepsilon$. Power spectra of temporal fluctuations in the chaotic state are broadband, decaying as a power law of the frequency $\omega^{-z}$ with $z \approx 4.0$.

Pattern formation outside of equilibrium

A comprehensive review of spatiotemporal pattern formation in systems driven away from equilibrium is presented, with emphasis on comparisons between theory and quantitative experiments. Examples include patterns in hydrodynamic systems such as thermal convection in pure fluids and binary mixtures, Taylor-Couette flow, parametric-wave instabilities, as well as patterns in solidification fronts, nonlinear optics, oscillatory chemical reactions and excitable biological media. The theoretical starting point is usually a set of deterministic equations of motion, typically in the form of nonlinear partial differential equations. These are sometimes supplemented by stochastic terms representing thermal or instrumental noise, but for macroscopic systems and carefully designed experiments the stochastic forces are often negligible. An aim of theory is to describe solutions of the deterministic equations that are likely to be reached starting from typical initial conditions and to persist at long times. A unified description is developed, based on the linear instabilities of a homogeneous state, which leads naturally to a classification of patterns in terms of the characteristic wave vector q0 and frequency ω0 of the instability. Type Is systems (ω0=0, q0≠0) are stationary in time and periodic in space; type IIIo systems (ω0≠0, q0=0) are periodic in time and uniform in space; and type Io systems (ω0≠0, q0≠0) are periodic in both space and time. Near a continuous (or supercritical) instability, the dynamics may be accurately described via equations, whose form is universal for each type of instability. The specifics of each system enter only through the nonuniversal coefficients. Far from the instability threshold a different universal description known as the equation may be derived, but it is restricted to slow distortions of an ideal pattern. For many systems appropriate starting equations are either not known or too complicated to analyze conveniently. It is thus useful to introduce phenomenological order-parameter models, which lead to the correct amplitude equations near threshold, and which may be solved analytically or numerically in the nonlinear regime away from the instability. The above theoretical methods are useful in analyzing real pattern effects such as the influence of external boundaries, or the formation and dynamics of defects in ideal structures. An important element in nonequilibrium systems is the appearance of deterministic chaos. A greal deal is known about systems with a small number of degrees of freedom displaying temporal chaos, where the structure of the phase space can be analyzed in detail. For spatially extended systems with many degrees of freedom, on the other hand, one is dealing with spatiotemporal chaos and appropriate methods of analysis need to be developed. In addition to the general features of nonequilibrium pattern formation discussed above, detailed reviews of theoretical and experimental work on many specific systems are presented. These include Rayleigh-Benard convection in a pure fluid, convection in binary-fluid mixtures, electrohydrodynamic convection in nematic liquid crystals, Taylor-Couette flow between rotating cylinders, parametric surface waves, patterns in certain open flow systems, oscillatory chemical reactions, static and dynamic patterns in biological media, crystallization fronts, and patterns in nonlinear optics. A concluding section summarizes what has and has not been accomplished, and attempts to assess the prospects for the future.