Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation ($u_t+u{u}_x+u_{xx}+u_{xxxx}=0$)

The Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation $u_t+u{u}_x+u_{xx}+u_{xxxx}=0$ combines destabilizing long-wave growth, stabilizing fourth-order diffusion, and nonlinear transport. Its potential form is ${\Phi }_t=-{\Phi }_{xx}-{\Phi }_{xxxx}+({\Phi }_x{)}^2$, with $u=-2{\Phi }_x$. It arises as a long-wave phase amplitude equation near loss of the Benjamin-Feir stability condition. On a domain of period $P$, the zero solution's Fourier modes grow at rate $k^2-k^4$, $k=2\pi n/P$.

Fix zero mean and period $P$ in the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation. At $P=2\pi$ the first Fourier mode becomes neutral and all higher modes are damped. For $k=2\pi /P$, expand $u=a\sin (kx)+b\sin (2kx)+\cdots$. The first equations are $\dot{a}={\lambda }_{1}a+kab/2+\cdots$, $\dot{b}={\lambda }_{2}b-k{a}^2/2+\cdots$, with ${\lambda }_j=(jk{)}^2-(jk{)}^4$. Slaving the second harmonic gives $\dot{a}={\lambda }_{1}a+k^2{a}^3/(4{\lambda }_2)+\cdots$. Since ${\lambda }_2=-12$ at onset, this is a supercritical bifurcation. The small nonzero branch is stable in the sense of orbital stability against disturbances of the same fixed period, modulo translation; stability against disturbances of larger period does not follow from this local argument.