Article,
Sea-surface wave growth under extraterrestrial atmospheres: Preliminary wind tunnel experiments with application to Mars and Titan
Icarus, 175 (2): 556--560 (2005)
Abstract
We describe for the first time the generation and measurement of capillary
waves in a water surface in a wind tunnel running with air at pressures
of 15-1000 mbar. These experiments suggest a stronger dependence
of wave generation oil atmospheric density than the simple proportionality
that might be expected from energy transfer arguments. Additionally,
airflow over a nonaqueous fluid (kerosene) was found to produce waves
of higher amplitude than for water under the same conditions. These
preliminary results may indicate different efficiencies of wave generation
on other planets. for which empirical terrestrial relations therefore
do not apply, and thus may have a bearing oil the lack of strong
shoreline features oil Mars and the possibility of specular glints
from hydrocarbon lakes on Titan. © 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights
reserved.
