Numerical studies of the stability of inviscid stratified shear flows

Abstract

The infinitesimal stability of inviscid, parallel, stratified shear flows to two-dimensional disturbances is described by the Taylor-Goldstein equation. Instability can only occur when the Richardson number is less than 1/4 somewhere in the flow. We consider cases where the Richardson number is everywhere non- negative. The eigenvalue problem is expressed in terms of four parameters,Ja ‘typical’ Richardson number, α the (real) wavenumber andcthe complex phase speed of the disturbance. Two computer programs are developed to integrate the stability equation and to solve for eigenvalues: the first findscgiven α andJ, the second finds α andJwhenc≡ 0 (i.e. it computes the stationary neutral curve for the flow). This is sometimes,but not always, the stability boundary in the α,Jplane. The second program works only for cases where the velocity and density profiles are antisymmetric about the velocity inflexion point. By means of these two programs, several configurations of velocity and density have been investigated, both of the free-shear-layer type and the jet type. Calculations of temporal growth rates for particular profiles have been made.