The propagation of a weak nonlinear wave

Abstract

We consider the propagation of a weak nonlinear wave whose energy is concentrated in a narrow band of wavenumbers in a fluid which is both dispersive and dissipative. We use the small amplitude equations of Whitham's theory of slowly varying wave trains, modified slightly to include dissipation, to show that the modulation of the wave may be described by a nonlinear Schrödinger equation. For long waves which are purely dispersive we obtain the Kortewegde Vries equation, and for long waves which are dissipative we obtain Burgers’ equation by suitable transformations of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation. We mention the problem of Stokes waves in deep water and comment briefly upon invariant far-field theory.