Hexagonal convection amplitude equations ($A_T={\mu }_{2}KA+\gamma K\bar{B}\bar{C}-3K^{2}A\sum |A_j{|}^2$)

A finite-wavenumber convection instability with a resonant three-wave triad can yield three coupled amplitude equations. For the gradient nonlinearity $\nabla \cdot (|\nabla \Theta {|}^2\nabla \Theta )$ and weak quadratic asymmetry $-ϵ\gamma \nabla \cdot (\Theta \nabla \Theta )$, projection onto a triad of length squared $K$ gives the stated equation and its cyclic copies. The quadratic coefficient is $+\gamma K$, while both self and cross cubic coefficients are $-3K^2$ for angles of $120$ degrees. The finite critical mode requires positive linear damping in the underlying long-wave equation.

For a resonant three-wave triad with rotational and translational symmetry but no spatial reflection, the cubic amplitude equations have the cyclic form $\dot{A}=\mu A+\overline{B}\overline{C}-{\nu }_1|A{|}^{2}A-({\nu }_2+\delta )|B{|}^{2}A-({\nu }_2-\delta )|C{|}^{2}A$. A half-turn induces complex conjugation, so all coefficients are real. The coefficient $\delta$ distinguishes the two cyclic cross-couplings that a reflection would interchange.

For the rotational hexagon amplitude equations, put $d={\nu }_2-{\nu }_1$ and $N={\nu }_1+2{\nu }_2$. A roll with $r^2=\mu /{\nu }_1$ has transverse eigenvalues $-d{r}^2\pm \sqrt{{\delta }^2{r}^4+r^2}$, each twice, radial eigenvalue $-2\mu$, and one neutral translation. A hexagon with $\mu =N{h}^2-h$ has real-amplitude eigenvalues $h-2N{h}^2$ and $-2h+2d{h}^2\pm 2i\sqrt{3}\delta h^2$; its imaginary-amplitude eigenvalues are $-3h,0,0$. These follow by diagonalizing the cyclic Jacobian matrix. Stability is understood modulo translations. If ${\nu }_2>{\nu }_1>0$ and $\delta \ne 0$, the upper positive hexagon branch reaches a Hopf bifurcation at $h=1/d$, $\mu =(2{\nu }_1+{\nu }_2)/d^2$.

Write the translation group action as $(A,B,C)\mapsto (e^{i{\theta }_1}A,e^{i{\theta }_2}B,e^{-i({\theta }_1+{\theta }_2)}C)$. Modulo lattice translations, the stabilizer subgroup of $(h,h,h)$, with nonzero real $h$, is the sixfold rotation group. Its fixed-point subspace of a group action is the real line $(a,a,a)$. The stabilizer subgroup of $(r,0,0)$, with nonzero real $r$, consists of the circle ${\theta }_1=0$ together with a half-turn; its fixed-point subspace of a group action is the real line $(a,0,0)$. The equivariant branching lemma therefore supplies generic branches of both axial types.

In the hexagonal convection amplitude equations, a pure convection roll has $|A{|}^2={\mu }_2/(3K)$ and $B=C=0$. The transverse diagonal linear growth cancels because self and cross cubic coefficients coincide. Broken up-down symmetry leaves the off-diagonal coupling $\gamma KA$, giving eigenvalues $\pm |\gamma |K|A|$ and an unstable orientation perturbation whenever $\gamma \ne 0$. With zero quadratic coupling these directions are neutral at the retained order, so that degenerate case cannot be declared strictly unstable by this calculation.