Linear and nonlinear waves on the charged surface of liquid hydrogen

The results of research on the properties of linear and nonlinear waves on the charged surface of liquid hydrogen in a cylindrical cell are reported. It is found that the spectrum of oscillations of linear waves softens with increasing applied electric field. Weak turbulence in a system of capillary waves on the charged surface of liquid hydrogen is investigated. The formation of a Kolmogorov cascade is observed in the inertial interval from 100 Hz to 10 kHz. It is found that the correlation function of the deviation of the surface from its flat equilibrium state can be described by a power-law function of the frequency, with an exponent m = -3.7+/-0.3 when the surface is excited at a single resonance frequency, and m = -3.0+/-0.3 in the case of two-frequency excitation. The results of these studies are in qualitative agreement with the theoretical predictions. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.