Triggering rogue waves in opposing currents

Abstract

We show that rogue waves can be triggered naturally when a stable wave train enters a region of an opposing current flow. We demonstrate that the maximum amplitude of the rogue wave depends on the ratio between the current velocity U0 and the wave group velocity cg. We also reveal that an opposing current can force the development of rogue waves in random wave fields, resulting in a substantial change of the statistical properties of the surface elevation. The present results can be directly adopted in any field of physics in which the focusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation with nonconstant coefficient is applicable. In particular, nonlinear optics laboratory experiments are natural candida..