Write the perturbation velocity as , the density amplitude as , and . Axisymmetry removes advection by the background azimuthal flow, but the radial perturbation advects the Keplerian shear: . Combining this with the Coriolis force gives the linearized shearing sheet equations
The razor-thin disk Poisson kernel supplies the self-gravity term. The coefficient, rather than , is essential: it includes the perturbed advection of the background velocity.
Put and . The determinant of the three amplitude equations is
Expanding it gives the dust gravitational dispersion relation with gas drag
Using a determinant avoids division by and retains the neutral/secular branch. The radial epicyclic frequency of this Keplerian shearing sheet is , so the three terms in represent rotational support, self-gravity and dust pressure.
For any nonzero positive drag, the cubic dust gravitational dispersion relation with gas drag is negative at if and positive at sufficiently large positive . The intermediate value theorem therefore guarantees a growing real root. This existence argument is independent of the weak-drag expansion and includes the dynamically unstable regime.
For fixed , the two oscillatory roots of the dust gravitational dispersion relation with gas drag acquire negative real parts at first order in . Their frequencies have no first-order shift. The expansion is not uniform near , where the oscillation and damping scales can become comparable.