Abstract:
Attenuation of surface waves due to viscous dissipation is accompanied by the excitation of slow vortex currents due to the conservation of total momentum. We present a theoretical model for small-amplitude waves that explains experiments on vortex flow generation by crossing waves. Special attention is paid to the effect of surface contaminants, which is accounted for within the framework of a model of a thin elastic liquid film, leading to enhanced wave dissipation and intensified vortex currents. As the amplitude of the currents increases, their interaction with the waves must be considered. A theoretical framework is proposed to describe this interaction, demonstrating its applicability to classical problems: Guyon waves, the propagation of short waves against a current, and Langmuir circulation. Finally, experimental data on the turbulent regime of flow generation, which occurs at sufficiently large wave amplitudes, are described, and open questions in this field are outlined.
Keywords:waves on liquid surface, surface film, vortex flow, mass current, Stokes drift, virtual wave stress, vortex force, wave scattering and refraction
PACS:05.45.-a, 92.10.hb
Received:March 30, 2025 Revised:August 3, 2025 Accepted: August 5, 2025
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