Instabilities in an open top horizontal porous layer subjected to pulsating thermal boundary conditions (Q5929795)

From authors' summary: Consider a horizontal porous layer, saturated by a fluid which is free to cross the upper boundary. Suppose, in addition, that the temperature of the upper boundary undergoes sinusoidal fluctuations. The filtration speed and the temperature then satisfy a nonlinear system of partial differential equations which admits a quiescent solution. Within the framework of Darcy law, three parameters appear in the system governing the evolution of the temperature. They are the amplitude and the non-dimensional frequency of thermal forcing, in addition to the average vertical thermal gradient. Two questions are addressed. For given frequency the limit of unconditional stability of the quiescent state is studied: when the amplitude of the forcing is under the limit, every starting motion is monotonically damped. Above, some perturbations amplify at least for a while. Another thresold is characterized for possible existence of permanent seeping currents. The results hold for the full nonlinear problem, without any restriction connected with the amplitude of the motion. Nevertheless, the compound matrix method gives the thresolds directly. The kinematic boundary conditions, prescribed on the surface where the thermal fluctuations are enforced, help to destabilize the quiescent state.