We consider the linear stability of the cocurrent flow of two fluids of different viscosity in an infinite region (the viscous analogue of the classical Kelvin-Helmholtz problem). Attention is confined to the simplest case, Couette flow, and we solve the problem using both numerical and asymptotic techniques. We find that the flow is always unstable (in the absence of surface tension). The instability arises at the interface between the two fluids and occurs for short wavelengths, when viscosity rather than inertia is the dominant physical effect.

Co-current flow of two viscous fluids in a channel is linearly unstable to long wavelength disturbances. The weakly nonlinear evolution of this instability is examined. It is shown that, because of surface tension and nonlinear effects, the interface can either return to its original undisturbed state or evolve to some finite amplitude steady state.

Consider the Couette flow of two superposed fluids of different viscosity with the depth of the lower fluid bounded by a wall and the interface while the depth of the upper fluid is unbounded. The linear instability of this flow configuration is studied at all values of flow Reynolds number and disturbance wavelength using both asymptotic and numerical methods. Three distinct forms of instability are found which are dependent on the magnitude of two dimensionless parameters β and (α R)1/3, where β is a dimensionless wavenumber measured on a viscous lengthscale, α is a dimensionless wavenumber measured on the scale of the depth of the lower fluid and R is the Reynolds number of the lower fluid. At large β there is the short-wave instability found previously by Hooper & Boyd (1983). At small β and small (αR)1/3 there is the long-wave instability first discovered by Yih. At small β and large (αR)1/3 there is a new type of instability which arises only if the kinematic viscosity of the lower bounded fluid is less than the kinematic viscosity of the upper fluid.

The stability of the interface between two viscous fluids is considered when the depth of the lower fluid is much less than the depth of the upper fluid. A long wavelength perturbation scheme is used to solve the linear stability problem and the equation governing the nonlinear evolution of the interface is deduced. The exact dispersion relation is derived for arbitrary values of wavelength and then simplified for large wavelength values. It is found that the flow is always linearly unstable when the lower fluid is also the more viscous fluid.