On the subharmonic instabilities of steady three-dimensional deep water waves

A numerical procedure has been developed to study the linear stability of nonlinear three-dimensional progressive gravity waves on deep water. The three-dimensional patterns considered herein are short-crested waves which may be produced by two progressive plane waves propagating at an oblique angle, γ, to each other. It is shown that for moderate wave steepness the dominant resonances are sideband-type instabilities in the direction of propagation and, depending on the value of γ, also in the transverse direction. It is also shown that three-dimensional progressive gravity waves are less unstable than two-dimensional progressive gravity waves.