Experimental Investigation of Faraday Waves of Maximum Height

The profiles of standing gravity waves of maximum height, parametrically excited on the free surface of a deep fluid in a vertically oscillating rectangular vessel (Faraday waves), are investigated experimentally. For a small modulation index of the excitation parameter, waves of three types are distinguished: regular, temporally periodic and symmetric about the vertical line passing through their crest; irregular but retaining the connectivity of the liquid volume; and breaking waves with drops separating from the free surface of the fluid. It is established that the profile of the maximum-height regular waves is smooth with a steepness of 0.255 and a limiting angle at the crest of less than 80 degrees. Certain realizations of irregular and breaking waves, with profiles similar to those of regular waves but with much smaller steepnesses, 0288 and 0.429, respectively, are detected.