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Updated: May 13, 2026

Measurements of Waves in a Wind-wave Tank Under Steady and Time-varying Wind Forcing
Published on: February 13, 2018
Observation of star-shaped surface gravity waves
Jean Rajchenbach1, Didier Clamond, Alphonse Leroux
1Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée (CNRS UMR 7336) Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France. Jean.Rajchenbach@unice.fr
Abstract:
We report a new type of standing gravity wave of large amplitude, having alternatively the shape of a star and of a polygon. This wave is observed by means of a laboratory experiment by vertically vibrating a tank. The symmetry of the star (i.e., the number of branches) is independent of the container form and size, and can be changed according to the amplitude and frequency of the vibration. We show that a nonlinear resonant coupling between three gravity waves can be envisaged to trigger the observed symmetry breaking, although more complex interactions certainly take place in the final periodic state.
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