Thermal-bioconvection in a non-scattering suspension of phototactic microorganisms

Abstract

This article investigates the linear stability of thermal-bioconvection within a suspension containing phototactic microorganisms heated from below. In suspension, the upper surface is taken as stress-free, while the lower surface is taken as rigid. The resulting eigenvalue problem, including the bioconvection Rayleigh and thermal Rayleigh numbers, is resolved numerically. Changes in the critical total intensity and Lewis number do not impact the critical threshold of the thermal Rayleigh number; however, they notably influence the critical bioconvection Rayleigh number. The critical total intensity and Lewis number destabilize the suspension. It is observed that heating from below enhances the instability of the layer. At higher temperatures, Rayleigh-B$\acute{e}$nard convection dominates bioconvection, resulting in a single convection cell.