Hyperbolic free-surface jets

Abstract

If a body of inviscid fluid is disturbed, it will typically eject a jet of fluid. If the effects of gravity and surface tension are negligible, these jets travel in straight lines, with the tips approaching a constant velocity. It has been observed that these jets can have a broad base, tapering progressively toward the tip, but the mathematical form of their profile has not been successfully analysed in earlier works. In this paper, we describe the simplest case, in two dimensions: an infinitely deep body of inviscid fluid, with no surface tension or gravitational forces acting, responds to an impulsive disturbance. We find that, contrary to some earlier suggestions, the jet has a hyperbolic profile (away from its tip and its base).