LAUSR

We consider a fifth-order Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation which arises as a two-dimensional model in the classical water-wave problem. This equation possesses a family of generalized line solitary waves which decay exponentially to periodic waves at infinity. We prove that these solitary waves are transversely spectrally unstable and that this instability is induced by the transverse instability of the periodic tails. We rely upon a detailed spectral analysis of some suitably chosen linear operators.