Author
F. Ursell
Other affiliations: University of Cambridge
Bio: F. Ursell is an academic researcher from University of Manchester. The author has contributed to research in topics: Free surface & Cylinder. The author has an hindex of 28, co-authored 57 publications receiving 4581 citations. Previous affiliations of F. Ursell include University of Cambridge.
Topics: Free surface, Cylinder, Surface wave, Wavelength, Inviscid flow
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
More filters
[...]
TL;DR: In this article, the stability of the plane free surface is investigated theoretically when the vessel is a vertical cylinder with a horizontal base, and the liquid is an ideal frictionless fluid making a constant angle of contact of 90° with the walls of the vessel.
Abstract: A vessel containing a heavy liquid vibrates vertically with constant frequency and amplitude. It has been observed that for some combinations of frequency and amplitude standing waves are formed at the free surface of the liquid, while for other combinations the free surface remains plane. In this paper the stability of the plane free surface is investigated theoretically when the vessel is a vertical cylinder with a horizontal base, and the liquid is an ideal frictionless fluid making a constant angle of contact of 90° with the walls of the vessel. When the cross-section of the cylinder and the frequency and amplitude of vibration of the vessel are prescribed, the theory predicts that the m th mode will be excited when the corresponding pair of parameters (p m , q m ) lies in an unstable region of the stability chart; the surface is stable if none of the modes is excited. (The corresponding frequencies are also shown on the chart.) The theory explains the disagreement between the experiments of Faraday and Rayleigh on the one hand, and of Matthiessen on the other. An experiment was made to check the application of the theory to a real fluid (water). The agreement was satisfactory; the small discrepancy is ascribed to wetting effects for which no theoretical estimate could be given.
695 citations
[...]
01 Jul 1957
TL;DR: In this article, a new complex variable u is introduced by the implicit relation where the parameters ζ(α), A(α) are determined explicitly from the condition that the (u, z) transformation is uniformly regular near z = 0, α = 0.
Abstract: In the integralthe functions g(z), f(z, α) are analytic functions of their arguments, and N is a large positive parameter. When N tends to ∞, asymptotic expansions can usually be found by the method of steepest descents, which shows that the principal contributions arise from the saddle points, i.e. the values of z at which ∂f/∂z = 0. The position of the saddle points varies with α, and if for some a (say α = 0) two saddle points coincide (say at z = 0) the ordinary method of steepest descents gives expansions which are not uniformly valid for small α. In the present paper we consider this case of two nearly coincident saddle points and construct uniform expansions as follows. A new complex variable u is introduced by the implicit relationwhere the parameters ζ(α), A(α) are determined explicitly from the condition that the (u, z) transformation is uniformly regular near z = 0, α = 0 (see § 2 below). We show that with these values of the parameters there is one branch of the transformation which is uniformly regular. By taking u on this branch as a new variable of integration we obtain for the integral uniformly asymptotic expansions of the formwhere Ai and Ai′ are the Airy function and its derivative respectively, and A(α), ζ(α) are the parameters in the transformation. The application to Bessel functions of large order is briefly described.
453 citations
[...]
TL;DR: The inviscid theory predicts that at a discrete frequency the resonance is confined to the neighbourhood of the beach (inviscid edge wave), while at a cutoff frequency resonance extends a long way down the canal as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The set of eigenfrequencies of a mechanical system forms its spectrum. A discussion is given of systems with discrete, continuous and mixed spectra. It is shown that resonance occurs at discrete points of the spectrum, and at cut-off frequencies (end-points of the continuous spectrum). The motion in a semi-infinite canal of finite width closed by a sloping beach has a mixed spectrum. The inviscid theory predicts that at a discrete frequency the resonance is confined to the neighbourhood of the beach (inviscid edge wave), while at a cutoff frequency the resonance extends a long way down the canal. The latter resonance is confined to the neighbourhood of the beach (viscous edge wave) by viscosity which is important near a cut-off frequency. Especially large resonances are predicted for a series of critical angles, of which the largest is 30°. The theory is verified experimentally in the frequency range 100 to 17c/min for the angles 37⋅6 and 29⋅5°.
376 citations
[...]
TL;DR: The theory of long waves in shallow water under gravity employs two different approaches, which have given rise to a well-known paradox remarked by Stokes, but hitherto not fully resolved as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The theory of long waves in shallow water under gravity employs two different approaches, which have given rise to a well-known paradox remarked by Stokes, but hitherto not fully resolved. On the one hand it was shown by Airy (1) that, if the pressure at any point in the fluid is equal to the hydrostatic head due to the column of water above it, then no wave form can be propagated without change hi shallow water of uniform depth; on the other hand, it was shown by Rayleigh's theory (8) of the solitary wave that this conclusion may be incorrect. In the present paper an attempt is made to elucidate the paradox. Waves of small amplitude η0 and large horizontal wave-length λ (compared with the depth h of the water) are studied, and it is shown that Airy's conclusion is valid if η0λ2/h3 ia large, whereas the solitary wave has η0λ2/h3 of order unity. Equations of motion are derived corresponding to large, moderate and small values of η0λ2/h3; these can be summarized in a single equation for the profile η(x, t):due to Boussinesq (3).It is also shown that the linearized theory of surface waves is valid only if η0/λ and η0λ2/h3 are both small. Some remarks are made on the generation of the solitary wave, and on the breaking of waves on a shelving beach.
345 citations
[...]
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors considered the motion of a fluid of infinite depth which arises when a horizontal cylinder of circular cross-section oscillates with small amplitude about a mean position, in which the axis of the oylinder is assumed to lie in the mean surface.
Abstract: We consider the motion of a fluid of infinite depth which arises when a horizontal cylinder of circular cross-section oscillates with small amplitude about a mean position, in which the axis of the oylinder is assumed to lie in the mean surface. It is further assumed that the resulting motion is two-dimensional; this assumption is justified when the cylinder is long compared with a wave-length, or when the fluid is contained between vertical walls at right angles to the axis of the cylinder. Expressions are obtained for the wave motion at a distance from the cylinder, and for the increase in the inertia of the cyUnder due to the presence of the fluid.
276 citations
Cited by
More filters
[...]
TL;DR: A comprehensive review of spatiotemporal pattern formation in systems driven away from equilibrium is presented in this article, with emphasis on comparisons between theory and quantitative experiments, and a classification of patterns in terms of the characteristic wave vector q 0 and frequency ω 0 of the instability.
Abstract: A comprehensive review of spatiotemporal pattern formation in systems driven away from equilibrium is presented, with emphasis on comparisons between theory and quantitative experiments. Examples include patterns in hydrodynamic systems such as thermal convection in pure fluids and binary mixtures, Taylor-Couette flow, parametric-wave instabilities, as well as patterns in solidification fronts, nonlinear optics, oscillatory chemical reactions and excitable biological media. The theoretical starting point is usually a set of deterministic equations of motion, typically in the form of nonlinear partial differential equations. These are sometimes supplemented by stochastic terms representing thermal or instrumental noise, but for macroscopic systems and carefully designed experiments the stochastic forces are often negligible. An aim of theory is to describe solutions of the deterministic equations that are likely to be reached starting from typical initial conditions and to persist at long times. A unified description is developed, based on the linear instabilities of a homogeneous state, which leads naturally to a classification of patterns in terms of the characteristic wave vector q0 and frequency ω0 of the instability. Type Is systems (ω0=0, q0≠0) are stationary in time and periodic in space; type IIIo systems (ω0≠0, q0=0) are periodic in time and uniform in space; and type Io systems (ω0≠0, q0≠0) are periodic in both space and time. Near a continuous (or supercritical) instability, the dynamics may be accurately described via "amplitude equations," whose form is universal for each type of instability. The specifics of each system enter only through the nonuniversal coefficients. Far from the instability threshold a different universal description known as the "phase equation" may be derived, but it is restricted to slow distortions of an ideal pattern. For many systems appropriate starting equations are either not known or too complicated to analyze conveniently. It is thus useful to introduce phenomenological order-parameter models, which lead to the correct amplitude equations near threshold, and which may be solved analytically or numerically in the nonlinear regime away from the instability. The above theoretical methods are useful in analyzing "real pattern effects" such as the influence of external boundaries, or the formation and dynamics of defects in ideal structures. An important element in nonequilibrium systems is the appearance of deterministic chaos. A greal deal is known about systems with a small number of degrees of freedom displaying "temporal chaos," where the structure of the phase space can be analyzed in detail. For spatially extended systems with many degrees of freedom, on the other hand, one is dealing with spatiotemporal chaos and appropriate methods of analysis need to be developed. In addition to the general features of nonequilibrium pattern formation discussed above, detailed reviews of theoretical and experimental work on many specific systems are presented. These include Rayleigh-Benard convection in a pure fluid, convection in binary-fluid mixtures, electrohydrodynamic convection in nematic liquid crystals, Taylor-Couette flow between rotating cylinders, parametric surface waves, patterns in certain open flow systems, oscillatory chemical reactions, static and dynamic patterns in biological media, crystallization fronts, and patterns in nonlinear optics. A concluding section summarizes what has and has not been accomplished, and attempts to assess the prospects for the future.
5,723 citations
[...]
TL;DR: A surface plasmon polariton (SPP) is an electromagnetic excitation existing on the surface of a good metal, whose electromagnetic field decays exponentially with distance from the surface.
Abstract: A surface plasmon polariton (SPP) is an electromagnetic excitation existing on the surface of a good metal. It is an intrinsically two-dimensional excitation whose electromagnetic field decays exponentially with distance from the surface. In the past, it was possible to study only the (far-field) scattered light produced by the interaction of surface polaritons with surface features. Only with the development of scanning near-field optical microscopy did it become possible to measure the surface polariton field directly in close proximity to the surface where the SPP exists. Here we overview the near-field studies of surface polaritons on randomly rough and nanostructured surfaces, theoretical models of SPP interaction with surface features, and SPP applications in novel photonic technologies. Surface polariton scattering, interference, backscattering, and localization will be discussed, as well as concepts of surface polariton optics and polaritonic crystals. Surface polaritons are finding an ever increasing number of applications in traditional domains of surface characterization and sensors as well as in newly emerging nano-photonic and optoelectronic technologies.
1,981 citations
[...]
TL;DR: In this paper, the Boussinesq equations for long waves in water of varying depth are derived for small amplitude waves, but do include non-linear terms, and solutions have been calculated numerically for a solitary wave on a beach of uniform slope, which is also derived analytically by using the linearized long-wave equations.
Abstract: Equations of motion are derived for long waves in water of varying depth. The equations are for small amplitude waves, but do include non-linear terms. They correspond to the Boussinesq equations for water of constant depth. Solutions have been calculated numerically for a solitary wave on a beach of uniform slope. These solutions include a reflected wave, which is also derived analytically by using the linearized long-wave equations.
1,280 citations
[...]
TL;DR: The term soliton has been coined to describe a pulselike nonlinear wave (solitary wave) which emerges from a collision with a similar pulse having unchanged shape and speed.
Abstract: The term soliton has recently been coined to describe a pulselike nonlinear wave (solitary wave) which emerges from a collision with a similar pulse having unchanged shape and speed. To date at least seven distinct wave systems, representing a wide range of applications in applied science, have been found to exhibit such solutions. This review paper covers the current status of soliton research, paying particular attention to the very important "inverse method" whereby the initial value problem for a nonlinear wave system can be solved exactly through a succession of linear calculations.
1,274 citations
[...]
TL;DR: In this paper, the evanescent field structure over the wave front, as represented by equiphase planes, is identified as one of the most important and easily recognizable forms of surface wave.
Abstract: This paper calls attention to some of the most important and easily recognizable forms of surface wave, pointing out that their essential common characteristic is the evanescent field structure over the wave front, as represented by equiphase planes. The problems of launching and supporting surface waves must, in general, be distinguished from one another and it does not necessarily follow that because a particular surface is capable of supporting a surface wave that a given aperture distribution of radiation, e.g. a vertical dipole, can excite such a wave. The paper concludes with a discussion of the behavior of surface waves and their applications.
1,187 citations