Abstract
Flow with submerged vegetation is a topic of current high interest for river engineering and environment. In the present work, we study the structure of open-channel flow with submerged vegetation using linear stability analysis. The mixing-length model is employed to describe the turbulence. We consider a base flow characterized by the absence of Kelvin-Helmholtz stability, which results in a base flow which is distinct from the mean flow. This permits a more consistent study of the conditions under which Kelvin-Helmholtz inatabilities are generated. We find that the growth rate of the perturbations is maximized for moderate values of vegetation density.
