Unstable Interface Dynamics for Gravity Stokes Flow

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Authors: Francisco Gancedo, Rafael Granero-Belinchón, Zhongtian Hu, Elena Salguero, Yao Yao
Cited by: 0

Abstract

We investigate some unstable behavior of the interface given by two incompressible fluids of different densities evolving by the regular Stokes law with gravity force. In the unstable scenario, where the denser fluid lies above the lighter fluid, we prove infinite-in-time growth of the length or the curvature of the interface. We support these analytical results with numerical simulations that confirm the predicted growth phenomena. In the stable configuration, where the denser fluid lies below the lighter fluid, we show that certain initial configurations evolve into the unstable regime in finite time.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Navier-Stokes equation solutions Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer Fluid Dynamics and Thin Films

Publication details

Journal / source
arXiv (Cornell University)
Publication date
26 January 2026
Document type
Preprint