Leonardo Gordillo

Experiments on generation of surface waves by an underwater moving bottom

We report laboratory experiments on surface waves generated in a uniform fluid layer whose bottom undergoes an upward motion. Simultaneous measurements of the free-surface deformation and the fluid velocity field are focused on the role of the bottom kinematics (i.e. its spatio-temporal features) in wave generation. We observe that the fluid layer transfers bottom motion to the free surface as a temporal high-pass filter coupled with a spatial low-pass filter. Both filter effects are often neglected in tsunami warning systems, particularly in real-time forecast. Our results display good agreement with a prevailing linear theory without any parameter fitting. Based on our experimental findings, we provide a simple theoretical approach for modelling the rapid kinematics limit that is applicable even for initially non-flat bottoms: this may be a key step for more realistic varying bathymetry in tsunami scenarios.

Measurement of the velocity field in parametrically excited solitary waves

Parametrically excited solitary waves emerge as localized structures in high-aspect-ratio free surfaces subject to vertical vibrations. Herein, we provide the first experimental characterization of the hydrodynamics of these waves using Particle Image Velocimetry. We show that the underlying velocity field of parametrically excited solitary waves is mainly composed by an oscillatory velocity field. Our results confirm the accuracy of Hamiltonian models with added dissipation in describing this field. Remarkably, our measurements also uncover the onset of a streaming velocity field which is shown to be as important as other crucial nonlinear terms in the current theory. The observed streaming pattern is particularly interesting due to the presence of oscillatory meniscii.

Streaming patterns in Faraday waves

Waves patterns in the Faraday instability have been studied for decades. Besides the rich dynamics that can be observed on the waves at the interface, Faraday waves hide beneath them an elusive range of flow patterns --or streaming patterns-- which have not been studied in detail until now. The streaming patterns are responsible for a net circulation in the flow which are reminiscent of convection cells. In this article, we analyse these streaming flows by conducting experiments in a Faraday-wave setup. To visualize the flows, tracers are used to generate both trajectory maps and to probe the streaming velocity field via Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). We identify three types of patterns and experimentally show that identical Faraday waves can mask streaming patterns that are qualitatively very different. Next we propose a three-dimensional model that explains streaming flows in quasi-inviscid fluids. We show that the streaming inside the fluid arises from a complex coupling between the bulk and the boundary layers. This coupling can be taken into account by applying modified boundary conditions in a three-dimensional Navier-Stokes formulation for the streaming in the bulk. Numerical simulations based on this theoretical framework show good qualitative and quantitative agreement with experimental results. They also highlight the relevance of three-dimensional effects in the streaming patterns. Our simulations reveal that the variety of experimental patterns is deeply linked to the boundary condition at the top interface, which may be strongly affected by the presence of contaminants along the surface.