On acoustic wave generation in uniform shear flow

M. Akhalkatsi Physics Department, Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi 0179, Georgia (Dated: October 2004) Abstract The linear dynamics of acoustic waves and vortices in uniform shear flow is studied. For flows with very low shear rates, the dynamics of perturbations is adiabatic and can be described by the WKB approximation. However, for flows with moderate and high shear rates the WKB approximation is not appropriate, and alternative analysis shows that two important phenomena occur: acoustic wave over-reflection and wave generation by vortices. The later phenomenon is a known linear mechanisms for sound generation in shear flows, a mechanism that is related to the continuous spectrum that arises in linear shear flow dynamics. A detailed analytical study of these phenomena is performed and the main quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the radiated acoustic field are obtained and analyzed.