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Self-consistent effective-medium theory of random internal waves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 April 2006

R. J. Dewitt  and
Jon Wright
R. J. Dewitt
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
Jon Wright
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
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Abstract

In the first part of this paper we introduce a path-integral formalism for the internal-wave field of the ocean. The intent is to show that this type of formalism may be useful in suggesting improvements to current calculations, as it provides a framework for applying a wide variety of approximations that have been and are currently being developed in other areas of physics. We demonstrate the method by deriving equations for a self-consistent field approach (also known as the direct-interaction approximation). The experience in other areas of physics is that the self-consistent field approximation is more reliable than lowest-order perturbation theory. The end result of the DIA is the determination of an effective linear model for the description of internal waves in the deep-ocean environment. In the second part of the paper we obtain Hasselmann's source function by a prescribed limiting process and are able to indicate possible improvements in related calculations by comparing the limiting assumptions with numerically computed values.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 115 , February 1982 , pp. 283 - 302
Copyright
© 1982 Cambridge University Press

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