Paper 3, Section II, A

Waves
Part II, 2009

Starting from the equations of motion for an inviscid, incompressible, stratified fluid of density ρ0(z)\rho_{0}(z), where zz is the vertical coordinate, derive the dispersion relation

ω2=N2(k2+2)(k2+2+m2)\omega^{2}=\frac{N^{2}\left(k^{2}+\ell^{2}\right)}{\left(k^{2}+\ell^{2}+m^{2}\right)}

for small amplitude internal waves of wavenumber (k,,m)(k, \ell, m), where NN is the constant Brunt-Väisälä frequency (which should be defined), explaining any approximations you make. Describe the wave pattern that would be generated by a small body oscillating about the origin with small amplitude and frequency ω\omega, the fluid being otherwise at rest.

The body continues to oscillate when the fluid has a slowly-varying velocity [U(z),0,0][U(z), 0,0], where U(z)>0U^{\prime}(z)>0. Show that a ray which has wavenumber (k0,0,m0)\left(k_{0}, 0, m_{0}\right) with m0<0m_{0}<0 at z=0z=0 will propagate upwards, but cannot go higher than z=zcz=z_{c}, where

U(zc)U(0)=N(k02+m02)1/2U\left(z_{c}\right)-U(0)=N\left(k_{0}^{2}+m_{0}^{2}\right)^{-1 / 2}

Explain what happens to the disturbance as zz approaches zcz_{c}.