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Two equal stable density jumps of size $\Delta \rho /2$ at $z=\pm h/2$ lie in the global linear shear flow $U=\Delta Uz/h$. Decaying normal modes haveThe jump conditions for stratified inviscid shear flow give the determinant equationWriting $\alpha =kh/2$, $J=g\Delta \rho h/({\rho }_0\Delta U^2)$ and $\tilde{c}=2c/\Delta U$, this isThe two roots for ${\tilde{c}}^2$ are real; one is negative exactly when $2\alpha /(1+e^{-2\alpha })<J<2\alpha /(1-e^{-2\alpha })$. At large $\alpha$, this narrow band centres on $J=2\alpha$, where the isolated counterpropagating interfacial gravity waves have the same zero laboratory speed. This realizes counterpropagating wave instability.

For large $\alpha$, the coupling $e^{-kh}=e^{-2\alpha }$ is exponentially weak. If each interface were isolated, its interfacial gravity waves would have dimensional phase velocities $U(z_{\pm })\pm \sqrt{d}$, orThe upper-interface wave travelling against its positive local current has speed $1-\sqrt{J/(2\alpha )}$. The lower-interface wave travelling against its negative current has speed $-1+\sqrt{J/(2\alpha )}$. Their laboratory speeds match at zero when $J=2\alpha$. Weak interaction then produces counterpropagating wave instability rather than two independent travelling waves.

The band has the large-wavenumber form $J=2\alpha \pm 2\alpha e^{-2\alpha }+O(\alpha e^{-4\alpha })$. Exactly at resonance, $\mathrm{Im}\tilde{c}\sim e^{-2\alpha }/2$, soThus the instability window and growth rate both become exponentially small as the interfaces become weakly coupled.