FORMATION OF ROOT SINGULARITIES ON THE FREE-SURFACE OF A CONDUCTING FLUID IN AN ELECTRIC-FIELD

The formation of singularities on a free surface of a conducting ideal fluid in a strong electric field is considered. It is found that the nonlinear equations of two-dimensional fluid motion can be solved in t he small angle approximation. This enables us to show that for almost arbitrary initial conditions the surface curvature becomes infinite in a finite time. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.