Flow structure beneath periodic waves with constant vorticity under strong horizontal electric fields

Abstract

While several articles have been written on Electrohydrodynamics (EHD) flows or flows with constant vorticity separately, little is known about the extent to which the combined effects of EHD and constant vorticity affect the flow. This study aims to shed light on this topic by investigating the combined influence of a horizontal electric field and constant vorticity on the free surface and the emergence of stagnation points. Using the Euler equations framework, we employ conformal mapping and pseudo-spectral numerical methods. Our findings reveal that increasing the electric field intensity eliminates stagnation points and smoothen the wave profile. This implies that a horizontal electric field acts as a mechanism for the elimination of stagnation points within the fluid body. Besides, we have identified regimes where three stagnation points appear on the free surface — something that cannot occur in purely gravity rotational waves.