For a vector described in axes rotating at constant angular velocity , the rotating-axes theorem is . Inertial particle velocity is . Applying the theorem once more gives inertial acceleration . Thus the rotating momentum equation is
If and density is constant, the centrifugal term can be absorbed into the reduced pressure in a rotating fluid:
For small disturbances with , linearize to , , , together with incompressibility. Put . Taking the vertical curl gives . Taking divergence gives . Applying the Laplacian to the vertical momentum equation therefore gives . Another time derivative yields
All three velocity components are retained, even for fields independent of ; rotation produces the transverse component.
Set and seek . The rigid-wall conditions are then automatic and the scalar equation gives
For , define . The two possible oscillatory factors are distinguished by energy propagation. With horizontal wavenumber , the dispersion relation is and . An outgoing wave in must have , giving
For , define . Reject the exponentially growing branch, leaving the evanescent response
The real part is the physical velocity. The radiation or bounded-decay condition is needed in addition to the wavemaker boundary value to pick a unique half-channel response. Steady forcing () is a singular limit: with nonzero rotation a steady geostrophic balance and impermeable top/bottom require , incompatible with a nonzero imposed sine profile. At the cutoff equality, the bounded outgoing polarization also degenerates. These exceptional cases cannot be obtained by blindly substituting into the two strict-inequality formulas. The propagating sign is the radiation sign for an inertial wave.