Evolution of wavelike disturbances in shear flows : a class of exact solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations

Abstract

New classes of exact solutions of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are presented. The method of solution has its origins in that first used by Kelvin ( Phil. Mag . 24 (5), 188-196 (1887)) to solve the linearized equations governing small disturbances in unbounded plane Couette flow. The new solutions found describe arbitrarily large, spatially periodic disturbances within certain two- and three-dimensional ‘ basic ’ shear flows of unbounded extent. The admissible classes of basic flow possess spatially uniform strain rates; they include two- and three- dimensional stagnation point flows and two-dimensional flows with uniform vorticity. The disturbances, though spatially periodic, have time-dependent wavenumber and velocity components. It is found that solutions for the disturbance do not always decay to zero ; but in some instances grow continuously in spite of viscous dissipation. This behaviour is explained in terms of vorticity dynamics.