The Instability of Liquid Surfaces when Accelerated in a Direction Perpendicular to their Planes. I

It is shown that, when two superposed fluids of different densities are accelerated in a direction perpendicular to their interface, this surface is stable or unstable according to whether the acceleration is directed from the heavier to the lighter fluid or vice versa. The relationship between the rate of development of the instability and the length of wave-like disturbances, the acceleration and the densities is found, and similar calculations are made for the case when a sheet of liquid of uniform depth is accelerated.