Kelvin-Helmholtz instability


Kelvin–Helmholtz instability

A hydrodynamic instability where waves are set up at a surface boundary between two flows.

Kelvin-Helmholtz instability

[¦kel·vin ′helm‚hōls ‚in·stə′bil·əd·ē] (fluid mechanics) An instability that occurs at the interface between two fluid layers if their relative motion is sufficiently large, and eventually results in the disruption of the interface.