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The wave instability pathway to turbulence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2013

Bruce R. Sutherland
Bruce R. Sutherland*
Affiliation:
Departments of Physics and of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1, Canada
*
†Email address for correspondence: bruce.sutherland@ualberta.ca
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Abstract

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One way that large-scale oceanic internal waves transfer their energy to small-scale mixing is through parametric subharmonic instability (PSI). But there is a disconnect between theory, which assumes the waves are periodic in space and time, and reality, in which waves are transient and localized. The innovative laboratory experiments and analysis techniques of Bourget et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 723, 2013, pp. 1–20) show that theory can be applied to interpret the generation of subharmonic disturbances from a quasi-monochromatic wave beam. Their methodology and results open up new avenues of investigation into PSI through experiments, simulations and observations.

JFM classification

Geophysical and Geological Flows: Internal waves Instability: Parametric instability
Type
Focus on Fluids
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 724 , 10 June 2013 , pp. 1 - 4
Copyright
©2013 Cambridge University Press 

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