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An adiabatic fluid perturbation preserves the specific entropy of each displaced parcel. For a perfect gas, mass conservation gives $\Delta \rho =-\rho \nabla \cdot \mathbf{\xi }$ and the adiabatic equation of state gives $\Delta p=\gamma p\Delta \rho /\rho$. The corresponding Eulerian perturbation of a fluid variable is $\delta p=-\gamma p\nabla \cdot \mathbf{\xi }-\mathbf{\xi }\cdot \nabla p$. An isothermal equilibrium may still have adiabatic perturbations, because the thermodynamic constraint on displaced parcels differs from the equilibrium temperature profile.

Vertical hydrostatic equilibrium gives $p_0=\rho {\Omega }_z^2(H^2-z^2)/2$. At a vacuum interface, the Lagrangian pressure perturbation vanishes: $p^{\prime }+{\xi }_z{\partial }_z{p}_0=0$. The vertical equation gives ${\xi }_z=p_z^{\prime }/(\rho {\omega }^2)$, henceThe moving interface makes this different from setting the Eulerian perturbation of a fluid variable $p^{\prime }$ to zero on the original surface.

// Target: astrophysics.bigb

Let $p_1(z)$ denote the Eulerian perturbation of a fluid variable that is the pressure amplitude, and keep $\rho$ constant. The linearized Euler equations and incompressible flow constraint areThe last equation gives $u=i{w}^{\prime }/k$. Substituting it into the first yieldsDifferentiating this formula and using the vertical momentum equation produces the Rayleigh equation for inviscid shear flow:For a growing normal mode, $c$ is nonreal, so $U-c$ never vanishes on the real $z$ axis. In each open region the base velocity is constant or linear and $U^{\prime \prime }=0$; therefore $w^{\prime \prime }-k^{2}w=0$. Decay away from the layer selects $e^{-kz}$ above and $e^{kz}$ below, while both exponentials are retained inside. Conveniently normalize these asThese are the spatially localized discrete modes relevant to instability, rather than all possible generalized neutral disturbances at a critical layer in a shear flow.

At each corner $U$ is continuous and $U^{\prime }$ jumps. The two sides have the same normal velocity and normal stress: there is no membrane, density jump or singular external force supplying a pressure jump. Thus $w$ and $p_1$ must be continuous. The pressure formula proves the required continuity of $(c-U)w^{\prime }+U^{\prime }w$. This is pressure matching at a piecewise-linear shear interface; it does not require $w^{\prime }$ to be continuous. Equivalently integrating the Rayleigh equation for inviscid shear flow through a corner gives $(U-c)[w^{\prime }]=[U^{\prime }]w$.

Write $\alpha =kd$, $y=c/U_0$, and $E=e^{2\alpha }$. Continuity of normal velocity givesAt $z=d$, the outside derivatives are $w_{+}^{\prime }=-kA$, $U_{+}^{\prime }=0$, while the inside derivatives are $w_{-}^{\prime }=-kB+kEC$, $U_{-}^{\prime }=U_0/d$. Hence pressure matching reduces toSimilarly at $z=-d$, the outside derivative is $kD$ and the inside derivative is $-kEB+kC$. Matching givesThe two equations can be written asA nonzero mode therefore requiresThis is the dispersion relation for the unbounded piecewise-linear shear layer.

With the phase convention $e^{ik(x-ct)}$, positive $\mathrm{Im}c$ gives exponential temporal growth. Since the displayed $c^2$ is real, a growing/decaying pair occurs precisely whenFor $0<\alpha \le 1/2$, $e^{-2\alpha }>1-2\alpha$ by the strict exponential tangent inequality, so every such mode is unstable. For $\alpha \ge 1/2$, define $f(\alpha )=2\alpha -1-e^{-2\alpha }$. Its derivative $2+2e^{-2\alpha }$ is positive, while $f(1/2)<0$ and $f(1)>0$. There is consequently exactly one root in that interval, andAt the cutoff the discrete roots merge at $c=0$; above it the roots are real and have no exponential growth. The physical wavelengths in the unstable band satisfy ${\lambda }_x=2\pi /k>2\pi d/{\alpha }_s\simeq 9.83d$.

This is a finite-thickness Kelvin-Helmholtz instability: long disturbances roll up the layer and draw kinetic energy from its shear. The off-diagonal $e^{-2kd}$ terms describe coupling of the two vorticity discontinuities. Short disturbances decay across the layer before strongly coupling its edges and are neutral. Indeed at $kd\to \infty$ the two phase speeds approach the velocities $\pm U_0$ of the separated edges. At $kd\to 0$, expansion of the numerator gives $c^2/U_0^2\to -1$, recovering the vortex sheet result $c=\pm i{U}_0$; the growth rate then behaves as $k|U_0|$.