Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability of a Finite Shear Layer between Two Parallel Streams of Different Densities

Abstract

The .study of the hydrodynamie stability of a shear layer between parallel streams was initiated by Helmholtz (1868). He considered two streams of inviscid fluids with a discontinuous velocity profile, i.e.. the two streams are considered to be separated by a vortex sheet of zero thickness.