Compressible flow induced by the transient motion of a wavemaker

The effect of fluid compressibility on the evolution of the pressure distribution and free surface elevation, following the initiation of a horizontal motion of a vertical wavemaker, is analysed. This effect is significant even in a liquid (like water) when the time scale of the motion is very short (e.g. impulsive motions).In the leading order the present problem is analogous to that of supersonic flow about a thin wing, thus the solution is represented by means of an appropriate supersonic source distribution. Closed-form results are obtained for the case of impulsive motion (i.e. a step function velocity). The pressure field corresponds to systems of double rarefaction and double compression waves traversing the fluid domain intermittently. Following the passage of a rarefaction (compression) wave, the free surface becomes locally concave (convex). The resulting free surface profile consists of an elongating wavetrain in front of a jet riding up the vertical wall.On the compressible time-scale the pressure and velocity fields approach a steady long-time limit. This limit corresponds to the short-time incompressible flow prevailing after the attenuation of the pressure waves. The spatial nonuniformity of the asymptotic expansion in the neighbourhood of the waterline is briefly discussed.