Wave generation

Abstract

There are three principal kinds of wave generation mechanisms, corresponding to each of the three conservation laws that govern fluid motions: a changing mass flux into a stable atmosphere; convective motion; and energy exchange between a wave and the surrounding atmosphere. These mechanisms are applied to three kinds of waves: acoustic, gravity, and Alfven waves. They are pure cases, distinguished by their different restoring forces pressure for acoustic waves, buoyancy for gravity waves, and magnetic tension for Alfven waves.