Dynamic analysis of the air–water interface instability in a wind-wave flume: Initial conditions for wave generation

This paper aims to investigate the dynamic mechanism for a previously calm water surface under a background wind field, which would lose stability due to minor perturbations. When spatial distribution and growth rate of the shear wind field satisfy a certain relationship, an Orr–Sommerfeld equation can be derived from linearized Navier–Stokes equations, for the amplitude of perturbation waves at the air–water interface. After transforming its coordinates to a finite interval, this fourth-order linear ordinary differential equation with variable coefficients can turn into a linear singular differential equation. It is solved under the background flow fields of air and water using the corrected Fourier method that we previously developed, to yield two sets of four analytical solutions with physical significance. The perturbation flow at the air–water interface must satisfy the kinematic and dynamic matching conditions (continuity of velocity and smooth transition of shear stress), which results in a fourth-order homogeneous linear algebraic equation for four undetermined constants. Setting various parameters in accordance with measured data with a wind-wave flume, the corresponding perturbation waves solution is identified. Our calculation densely distributes the most unstable and readily growing waves among perturbation waves with small phase speeds, consistent with the experimental results. Our perturbation solutions over a flat air–water interface are only applicable to the short period after instability onset, which provides an initial condition for wave generation. The consequent interaction between small-amplitude waves and wind field is beyond the scope of our linear theory, which has indeed been sufficiently addressed in the literature.