Linear Stability Analysis of convective flows in Rotating Baroclinic Annulus with Localized Peripheral Heating: A Floquet-BiGlobal Approach
arXiv:2606.03258
Abstract
We investigate the linear stability of a rotating fluid annulus subjected to localized heating at the outer periphery of the bottom surface and uniform cooling at the inner cylindrical wall through a rigorous stability analysis. The localized forcing generates a non-axisymmetric base state, invalidating the classical normal-mode decomposition. We employ Floquet-Bloch theory in the azimuthal coordinate combined with a BiGlobal eigenvalue formulation in the meridional plane. The non-axisymmetric base state is expanded in azimuthal Fourier harmonics; perturbations are expressed as quasi-periodic Bloch modes that couple all azimuthal wavenumbers through base-state harmonics. Full linearised perturbation equations, the BiGlobal block-operator structure, pressure elimination, solenoidal projection, and the modal energy budget are derived. Instability is driven by cross-modal baroclinic energy release and shear production - mechanisms absent in classical axisymmetric theory.
The article has been submitted to Proceedings of the Innovations in Engineering for Sustainable Transformations (InnoVEST) 2026 and is Under Review