Generation of Vortices by Nonlinear Waves on the Surface of a Viscous Liquid

Abstract

Time dependence of the average vorticity amplitude is measured for vortices at lattice sites on the surface of water-glycerin solutions after excitation of two perpendicular surface waves with a frequency of 3 Hz. It is noted that presence of an elastic film on the surface of the liquid should be assumed for achieving the best agreement between the experimental data and the theoretical calculations. Considering the film effect, it is shown that the vorticity amplitude generated by perpendicular nonlinear waves almost does not change when the kinematic viscosity coefficient of the water-glycerin solution increases by more than a factor of 10.