A sufficient condition for instability in the limit of vanishing dissipation (Q1269086)

The authors consider nonlinear PDEs of the type \(v_t=Lv -\varepsilon Av\), where the operator \(L\) represents a conservative part of the equation, \(A\) is an operator of the dissipative (viscous) perturbation, and \(\varepsilon\) is a small perturbation parameter. It is assumed that a steady-state solution to the corresponding unperturbed equation, \(v_t=Lv\), has a strong instability. The issue considered is whether the instability persists in the presence of the singular viscous perturbation. Proving the theorems concerning discrete unstable eigenvalues of the operators, the authors obtain sufficient conditions for the instability to persist. They apply the results to a classical problem of a rotating body with an internal cavity filled with a fluid, and produce the first completely rigorous proof of the instability of the rotation regime.