Leapfrogging Kelvin waves

Nonlinear Wave Packets of Equatorial Kelvin Waves

The weakly nonlinear dynamics of packets of equatorial Kelvin waves is studied using singular perturbation theory applied to the shallow water wave equations. Within the limits of the perturbation theory, which is formally restricted to weak mean shear and weak nonlinearity, we derive a Nonlinear Schroedinger equation to describe the envelope of the wave packet. We find that nonlinearity has a ...

Slowing of vortex rings by development of Kelvin waves.

We study experimentally the slowing of viscous vortex rings. In particular we do so using the concept of drag coefficient, which is a bulk coefficient which aims to capture the various mechanisms of slowing that can occur. At early times of flight the ring slows at a certain rate. After some time, instabilities (which we refer to as Kelvin waves) begin to form on the ring and there is a transie...

Direct observation of Kelvin waves excited by quantized vortex reconnection.

Quantized vortices are key features of quantum fluids such as superfluid helium and Bose-Einstein condensates. The reconnection of quantized vortices and subsequent emission of Kelvin waves along the vortices are thought to be central to dissipation in such systems. By visualizing the motion of submicron particles dispersed in superfluid (4)He, we have directly observed the emission of Kelvin w...

Turbulent cascade of Kelvin waves on vortex filaments

Ubiquity of Kelvin–Helmholtz waves at Earth's magnetopause

Magnetic reconnection is believed to be the dominant process by which solar wind plasma enters the magnetosphere. However, for periods of northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) reconnection is less likely at the dayside magnetopause, and Kelvin-Helmholtz waves (KHWs) may be important agents for plasma entry and for the excitation of ultra-low-frequency (ULF) waves. The relative importanc...