 Periodic stability criterion for a conserved-field uniform amplitude

A nonzero uniform equilibrium of the conserved-field real amplitude equation obeys $\mu =R^2-\alpha R$. Fixed zero mean excludes the constant $B$ perturbation. Its homogeneous amplitude eigenvalue is $-r$. For a nonzero Fourier wavenumber $k$, the stability matrix has trace $-r-(1+\sigma )k^2$ and determinant $\sigma k^2(k^2+r-2\delta R^2)$. The displayed conditions are necessary and sufficient for strict linear stability on a period $2L$. In an infinite-domain limit the nonzero-mode condition becomes $r\ge 2\delta R^2$; a long-wave instability need not occur in a sufficiently short domain.