Thermal receptivity of unstable laminar flow with heat transfer

In this study, open questions about the temperature disturbances in linear stability theory are addressed. Temperature effects on flow stability have been investigated previously either by assuming a time independent shape for the temperature disturbance or by neglecting temperature fluctuations completely. Treating temperature fluctuations as an initial value problem can show the limits in which these assumptions are justified. By means of an asymptotic approach, based on small heat transfer rates, the various effects can be well separated from each other. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.