Statistics of rogue waves in isotropic wave fields

TL;DR

This paper studies the statistical properties of rogue waves in isotropic wave fields generated by nonlinear interactions, revealing the importance of four-wave resonant interactions in their formation and characteristics.

Contribution

It provides experimental data on rogue wave statistics in a laboratory setting, highlighting the role of four-wave interactions beyond second-order models.

Findings

Large rogue waves are more common than second-order models predict.

Four-wave resonant interactions significantly influence rogue wave properties.

Laboratory results align with theoretical models of nonlinear wave turbulence.

Abstract

We investigate the statistics of rogue waves occurring in the inverse cascade of surface gravity wave turbulence. In such statistically homogeneous, stationary and isotropic wave fields, low-frequency waves are generated by nonlinear interactions rather than directly forced by a wave maker. This provides a laboratory realization of arguably the simplest nonlinear sea state, in which long-time acquisitions are performed and compared with theoretical models. The analysis of thousands of rogue waves reveals that some of their properties crucially depend on four-wave resonant interactions, large crests being for instance more likely than predicted by second-order models.