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A high-order spectral method for the study of nonlinear gravity waves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2006

Douglas G. Dommermuth  and
Dick K. P. Yue
Douglas G. Dommermuth
Affiliation:
Department of Ocean Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Dick K. P. Yue
Affiliation:
Department of Ocean Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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Abstract

We develop a robust numerical method for modelling nonlinear gravity waves which is based on the Zakharov equation/mode-coupling idea but is generalized to include interactions up to an arbitrary order M in wave steepness. A large number (N = O(1000)) of free wave modes are typically used whose amplitude evolutions are determined through a pseudospectral treatment of the nonlinear free-surface conditions. The computational effort is directly proportional to N and M, and the convergence with N and M is exponentially fast for waves up to approximately 80% of Stokes limiting steepness (ka ∼ 0.35). The efficiency and accuracy of the method is demonstrated by comparisons to fully nonlinear semi-Lagrangian computations (Vinje & Brevig 1981); calculations of long-time evolution of wavetrains using the modified (fourth-order) Zakharov equations (Stiassnie & Shemer 1987); and experimental measurements of a travelling wave packet (Su 1982). As a final example of the usefulness of the method, we consider the nonlinear interactions between two colliding wave envelopes of different carrier frequencies.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 184 , November 1987 , pp. 267 - 288
Copyright
© 1987 Cambridge University Press

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