[Kelvin Wedge] Relations among Rays, Group Velocity, Phase Velocity, and the Wave Number Vector in Water Waves
In dispersive water waves (e.g., surface gravity waves on deep or shallow water), several concepts describe how waves travel, how energy moves, and how the wave patterns evolve. Below is an overview of wave fronts, wave crests, the wave number vector \(\mathbf{k}\), phase velocity \(\mathbf{c}_p\), group velocity \(\mathbf{c}_g\), and rays, along with how their directions compare.