Paper 1, Section I, B

Fluid Dynamics | Part IB, 2011

Inviscid fluid is contained in a square vessel with sides of length πL\pi L lying between x=0,πL,y=0,πLx=0, \pi L, y=0, \pi L. The base of the container is at z=Hz=-H where HLH \gg L and the horizontal surface is at z=0z=0 when the fluid is at rest. The variation of pressure of the air above the fluid may be neglected.

Small amplitude surface waves are excited in the vessel.

(i) Now let HH \rightarrow \infty. Explain why on dimensional grounds the frequencies ω\omega of such waves are of the form

ω=(γgL)12\omega=\left(\frac{\gamma g}{L}\right)^{\frac{1}{2}}

for some positive dimensionless constants γ\gamma, where gg is the gravitational acceleration.

It is given that the velocity potential ϕ\phi is of the form

ϕ(x,y,z)Ccos(mx/L)cos(ny/L)eγz/L\phi(x, y, z) \approx C \cos (m x / L) \cos (n y / L) \mathrm{e}^{\gamma z / L}

where mm and nn are integers and CC is a constant.

(ii) Why do cosines, rather than sines, appear in this expression?

(iii) Give an expression for γ\gamma in terms of mm and nn.

(iv) Give all possible values that γ2\gamma^{2} can take between 1 and 10 inclusive. How many different solutions for ϕ\phi correspond to each of these values of γ2?\gamma^{2} ?

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