Finite amplitude instability in a two-fluid plane Poiseuille flow

We revisit the problem of the weakly nonlinear stability analysis of an immiscible two-fluid viscosity-stratified, density-matched, plane Poiseuille flow (PPF) in a rigid channel. A formal amplitude expansion method, in which the flow variables are expanded in terms of a small amplitude function, is employed to examine the nonlinear development of the uniform wave trains. By employing the Chebyshev spectral collocation method, the linear growth rate and the first Landau coefficient, which determine the weakly nonlinear temporal evolution of a finite amplitude disturbance in the vicinity of linear instability, are computed. The focus is on the parameter regime where the long-waves are stable. The present analysis reveals the existence of both subcritical unstable and supercritical stable bifurcations. It is found that similar to the single fluid PPF, the two-fluid flow remains subcritically unstable at the onset of linear instability. There is a transition from subcritical bifurcation at higher wave numbers to supercritical bifurcation at lower wave numbers. The feedback of the mean flow correction onto the wave is responsible for the subcritical bifurcation. The equilibrium amplitude increases (decreases) as a function of the Reynolds number at a fixed wave number, where the bifurcation is supercritical (subcritical). Similar to the single fluid PPF, there is a reduction in the critical Reynolds number due to even extremely weak but finite amplitude disturbances. Moreover, as the disturbance intensity increases, the percentage reduction in the critical Reynolds number increases. The study helps one to have a better understanding and perspective of the bifurcations that occur close to criticality in the two-fluid interface dominated PPF system. In addition, it calls for devoted experiments supplemented with numerical and theoretical predictions on Poiseuille flow of viscosity and/or density stratified systems that would shed light on the nature of transition.