Influence of a nonlinear reference temperature profile on oscillatory Benard-Marangoni convection.

We analyze oscillatory instabilities in a fluid layer of infinite horizontal extent, heated from above or cooled from below, taking into account the nonlinearity of the reference temperature profile during the transient state of heat conduction. The linear stability analysis shows that a nonlinear reference temperature profile can have a strong effect on the system, either stabilizing or destabilizing, depending on the relative importance of buoyancy and surface tension forces. For the nonlinear analysis we use a Galerkin-Eckhaus method leading to a finite set of amplitude equations. In the two-dimensional (2D) case, we show the solution of these amplitude equations are standing waves.