re: [Paddlewise] wave stuff

From: Bruce Winterbon <bwinterb_at_mail.magma.ca>
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2000 06:58:18 -0400
Various questions about the Kelvin wave angle:

I looked in a book _Fluid Dynamics for Physicists_, by T E Faber.
As John Winters suggested, it's geometric. It depends on the "dispersion
relation" for gravity waves, i.e. wavelength being proportional to the
square of the frequency.  This is true when wave amplitude is small, water
is deep, and wave length is large enough (much greater than an inch or so (
a few cm.)) that viscosity can be neglected. Also, as John said, it's based
on a point source: the object creating the wave is very small. In practise,
the waves created by each point on the hull add together. My guess is that
finite wave amplitude is the major reason for departure from the ideal angle.
Hope this helps,
Bruce
Bruce Winterbon
bwinterb_at_magma.ca
http://magma.ca:80/~bwinterb

Capitalism means the greatest goods for the greediest.

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Received on Tue Oct 10 2000 - 05:17:47 PDT

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