Abstract
The stability of a given flow field is a central question in the consideration of the realisability and persistence of a flow. This question is most simply addressed by considering the linear stability of the flow. A small perturbation is made to the given flow field and the tendency for this perturbation to grow, or decay is determined. Since the perturbation is small the equations of motion are linearised about this basic state, and these linearised equations often yield mode-like solutions with time-dependence of the form e iτt, where t is time and σ the frequency of the mode. If Im(σ) < 0, the mode grows exponentially and the flow is said to be linearly unstable.
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© 1992 Springer-Verlag Wien
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Linden, P.F. (1992). Barotropic and Baroclinic Instabilities. In: Hopfinger, E.J. (eds) Rotating Fluids in Geophysical and Industrial Applications. International Centre for Mechanical Sciences, vol 329. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-2602-8_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-2602-8_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna
Print ISBN: 978-3-211-82393-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-2602-8
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