Wave flow regimes of a thin layer of viscous fluid subject to gravity

Abstract

The studies of Kapitsa initiated the detailed experimental and theoretical study of the flow of a thin layer of viscous liquid (liquid film) over a solid surface [1–2]. Extensive experimental data on this question have now been accumulated. As a rule, the existing theories are based on linearization of the problem and diverge considerably from the experimental results. The present paper is also addressed to the theoretical solution of this problem. The solution method used enables consideration of the wave flow of the liquid as a nonlinear problem and on this basis permits determining all the parameters of the wave regime-amplitude, wavelength, wave propagation speed, frequency.