On the linear instability of the Hall-Stewartson vortex

It is demonstrated that the Hall-Stewartson leading-edge vortex is linearly unstable to viscous perturbations of the center-mode type. Center modes are found to occur in two reigons of Reynolds-number-wave-number space, in limits in which the axial wave number is large. The appropriate center-mode equations in these neighborhoods are established, and it emerges that the two sets are identical. The single system of equations, which depends on the azimuthal wave number m and a distance parameter only, is solved numerically for various values of m and . Highly unstable modes are found for large positive , and the results are shown to be in good agreement with proposed asymptotic expansions when >1. To lowest order, unstable modes have phase surfaces that rotate with the fluid: in addition constant phase surfaces propagate upstream but the group velocity is directed downstream. The growth rate of the instability increases faster than Reynolds number to the quarter power. This, together with the finding that the length scale of the unstable modes found goes to zero as the Reynolds number tends to infinity, makes this instability an unusual one.This work was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under contract AFOSR-89-0346 monitored by Dr. L. Sakell, and by the U.S. Army Research Office at the Mathematical Sciences Institute of Cornell University.