Effective-potential stratification coefficient (${\mathcal{N}}^2=-\rho /(\gamma p)-(d\rho /d\Psi )/\rho$)

For barotropic equilibrium $dp/d\Psi =-\rho$, this coefficient equals $-{\rho }^{-1}(dp/d\Psi )[{\gamma }^{-1}d\ln p/d\Psi -d\ln \rho /d\Psi ]$. It weights displacement across effective-potential surfaces in the Cowling energy principle for a rotating barotropic star. Its sign distinguishes stabilizing from destabilizing buoyancy there. It is not itself a squared frequency: the physical local buoyancy-frequency square contains an additional factor $|\nabla \Psi {|}^2$.