Spatial vs. Temporal Evolution of Nonlinear Wave Groups – Experiments and Modeling Based on the Dysthe Equation

The evolution along the tank of unidirectional nonlinear wave groups with narrow spectrum is studied both experimentally and numerically. Measurements of the instantaneous surface elevation within the tank are carried out using digital processing of video-recorded sequences of images of the contact line movement at the tank side wall. The accuracy of the video-derived results is verified by measurements performed by conventional resistance-type wave gauges. An experimental procedure is developed that enables processing of large volumes of video images and capturing the spatial structure of the instantaneous wave field in the whole tank. The experimentally obtained data are compared quantitatively with the solutions of the modified nonlinear Schrödinger (MNLS, or Dysthe) equation written in either temporal or spatial form. Results on the evolution along the tank of wave frequency spectra and on the temporal evolution of the wave number spectra are presented. It is demonstrated that accounting for the 2 order bound (locked) waves is essential for getting a qualitative and quantitative agreement between the measured and the computed spectra.