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For a stationary film of uniform thickness, thermal conduction gives $T_{zz}=0$, so $T=T_0+cz$. The cooling boundary condition determines $c$:Consequently the surface temperature isThis is the quasistatic temperature of a conductively cooled film, with a weak-cooling expansion when $\alpha h/\kappa \ll 1$.

Let the thickness and longitudinal scales be $h_{\ast },L$, with $ϵ=h_{\ast }/L\ll 1$. Incompressibility gives transverse speed of order $ϵU$, and film evolution has the kinematic time scale $L/U$. For the temperature variation scale $\Theta$, longitudinal diffusion divided by transverse diffusion is $h_{\ast }^2/L^2={ϵ}^2$. Each advective term, and the time derivative on that evolution scale, divided by transverse diffusion isThus ${ϵ}^2\ll 1$ and $Pe\ll 1$ make the leading thermal profile locally linear and quasistatic. Retaining the weak-cooling condition gives the same surface-temperature approximation with the local $h(x,t)$. For any independently imposed faster time variation one would also require its thermal relaxation ratio $h_{\ast }^2/(\kappa t_{\mathrm{evol}})$ to be small.

Define the positive surface-tension gradient coefficientThe weak-cooling approximation gives ${\gamma }_s\simeq {\gamma }_0+Bh$, so the Marangoni stress is ${\gamma }_{s,x}=B{h}_x$. The Young–Laplace equation gives the leading liquid pressure $p=p_a-{\gamma }_0{h}_{xx}$, with constant ambient pressure. In lubrication theory, $p_z=0$ and $\mu u_{zz}=p_x$. The no-slip boundary condition at the wall and the tangential surface condition $\mu u_z(h)={\gamma }_{s,x}$ giveHence the volume flux isConservation of mass gives the thermocapillary thin-film equationThe replacement of surface tension by ${\gamma }_0$ in the capillary term needs $B{h}_{\ast }/{\gamma }_0\ll 1$. For comparable capillary and thermocapillary fluxes,so the fractional tension change is only $O({ϵ}^2)$. Both the tension correction to $\gamma h_{xxx}$ and the differentiated-tension contribution ${\gamma }_x{h}_{xx}$ are then higher-order. Weak cooling alone would not justify that replacement if $|{\gamma }^{\prime }|\Delta T/{\gamma }_0$ were allowed to grow without bound.

The capillary term smooths the film: a crest has negative curvature and higher liquid pressure, causing flow away from it. The thermal term has the opposite effect. A thicker region has a colder surface and therefore higher surface tension; Marangoni stress pulls surface fluid toward that region, reinforcing the thickness disturbance. These mechanisms give fourth-order damping and second-order growth respectively.

Use $H=h/\hat{h}$, $X=ϵx/\hat{h}$, and $\tau =t/\hat{t}$. The two dimensionless flux-divergence coefficients are $B{ϵ}^2\hat{t}/(2\mu )$ and ${\gamma }_0{ϵ}^4\hat{t}/(3\mu \hat{h})$. Setting both equal to one gives the balanced scales for a thermocapillary film:These choices yield $H_{\tau }+(H^2{H}_X{)}_X+(H^3{H}_{XXX}{)}_X=0$. The predicted $ϵ$ must be small for the assumed long-wave approximation.

Linearize about $H=1$ using a normal mode of amplitude $\delta$. The resulting equation is $s-k^2+k^4=0$, so the dispersion relation isModes with $0<|k|<1$ grow, while $|k|>1$ modes decay. Differentiating $s$ gives the most unstable wavenumbersThe physical fastest wavenumber is $ϵ/(\sqrt{2}\hat{h})$.

For a positive steady film with zero volume flux, $H^2{H}_X+H^3{H}_{XXX}=0$. Divide by $H^3$ and integrate once:Choosing the thickness scale so that $H=1$ when $H_{XX}=0$ sets $C=0$. Multiply $H_{XX}=-\ln H$ by $H_X$ and integrate to obtain the zero-flux thermocapillary film profiles relationThus the stated potential is $V(H)=H(\ln H-1)$ and the integration constant $E$ is the corresponding first integral.

For the motionless uniform layer, the heat equation reduces to $T_{zz}=0$. The lower temperature and upper heat-transfer condition determine the quasistatic temperature of a conductively cooled film:When $\alpha h/\kappa \ll 1$, $T_s=T_0-\Delta T\alpha h/\kappa +O(\Delta T(\alpha h/\kappa {)}^2)$. For a varying film let its vertical velocity scale as $Uh/L$, as required by incompressible flow. Relative to vertical thermal diffusion, horizontal thermal diffusion is smaller by $(h/L{)}^2$, and either horizontal or vertical thermal advection is smaller by $U{h}^2/(\kappa L)$. Time variation on the film's transport timescale $L/U$ has the same small factor. Thus the leading heat equation is again $T_{zz}=0$ at each $x,t$ when both specified dimensionless parameters are small. This argument retains the small $\alpha h/\kappa$ assumption. If thickness were externally varied on a faster timescale $t_h$, one would additionally need $h^2/(\kappa t_h)\ll 1$; the spatial conditions alone do not control arbitrary rapid time dependence.

Define $b={\gamma }^{\prime }\Delta T\alpha /\kappa >0$. The surface tension at the surface is ${\gamma }_s={\gamma }_0+bh$, so the Marangoni stress is ${\gamma }_{s,x}=b{h}_x$. With capillary pressure $p=-{\gamma }_0{h}_{xx}$ to leading order, horizontal Stokes flow in the film solves $\mu u_{zz}=p_x$, $u(0)=0$, $\mu u_z(h)={\gamma }_{s,x}$. HenceThe continuity equation gives the thermocapillary thin-film equationTo justify using constant surface tension in the capillary pressure, compare the two volume fluxes on horizontal scale $L$: their magnitudes are ${\gamma }_0{h}^4/(3\mu L^3)$ and $b{h}^3/(2\mu L)$. When both mechanisms are retained at leading order, their balance gives $bh/{\gamma }_0=O((h/L{)}^2)\ll 1$. Thus replacing ${\gamma }_s$ by ${\gamma }_0$ in the curvature term incurs only a relative small correction. Equivalently, small $\alpha h/\kappa$ ensures this if ${\gamma }^{\prime }\Delta T/{\gamma }_0$ is bounded; if it were parametrically large, the extra small surface-tension-variation condition would have to be imposed separately.

The capillary pressure is higher beneath a crest than beneath a trough, so pressure-driven volume flux drains the crest and smooths thickness. The Marangoni effect acts oppositely: a thicker region has a colder surface and therefore larger surface tension. Surface velocity is pulled towards that region, supplying more liquid and amplifying the thickness variation. The arrows below represent these two mechanisms separately.

Put $a_c={\gamma }_0/(3\mu )$ and $a_m=b/(2\mu )$. Substitution of $h=\hat{h}H$, $x=\hat{h}X/ϵ$, $t=\hat{t}\tau$ gives coefficients $a_m{ϵ}^2\hat{t}$ and $a_c{ϵ}^4\hat{t}/\hat{h}$. Making both equal to one yieldsIn these scales the fractional surface tension change is $b\hat{h}/{\gamma }_0=2{ϵ}^2/3$, making the previous approximation explicit.

The linear stability analysis about $H=1$ gives ${\eta }_{\tau }+{\eta }_{XX}+{\eta }_{XXXX}=0$. For a normal mode $e^{s\tau +ikX}$,Long waves with $0<|k|<1$ grow, $|k|>1$ decay, and $k=0,\pm 1$ are neutral. The neutral $k=0$ mode changes the mean film thickness. The dispersion relation is even in $k$, with its two maxima at $\pm 1/\sqrt{2}$.

For a steady positive film with zero volume flux, divide $H^2{H}_X+H^3{H}_{XXX}=0$ by $H^3$ and integrate to obtain $H_{XX}+\ln H=C$. Choosing $\hat{h}$ as specified fixes $C=0$. Multiplication by $H_X$ and another integration then give the zero-flux thermocapillary film profiles first integralFor $H>0$, $V^{\prime }=\ln H$ and $V^{\prime \prime }=1/H>0$: the unique minimum is $V(1)=-1$, while $V(0^{+})=0$ and $V(e)=0$. This potential energy interpretation classifies the profiles without assuming a sinusoidal shape at finite amplitude.

For $E=-1$, the only profile is the uniform film $H=1$. For $-1<E<0$, there are two positive turning heights $H_{-}<1<H_{+}<e$ and a smooth periodic film oscillates between them. Its period isFor $E=0$, the maximum is $e$ and the lower endpoint is zero. A drop reaches zero thickness in finite distance, with zero limiting slope but unbounded curvature since $H_{XX}=-\ln H$. Its half-width isThus the formal limiting profile consists of drops of peak height $e$ and footprint width $2\sqrt{\pi e}$, with zero limiting contact angle. Identical drops can touch, or a zero-thickness region can separate them in the degenerate zero-flux model. These are limiting wet-region solutions, not everywhere positive twice differentiable films; the singular contact region is not resolved by lubrication theory. A useful parametric drop profile isFinally let $E=-1+\delta E$ with small positive $\delta E$. Writing $H=1+\eta$ gives $V=-1+{\eta }^2/2+O({\eta }^3)$ and $H_{XX}=-\eta +O({\eta }^2)$. The small-amplitude steady profile is $H=1+\sqrt{2\delta E}\cos (X-X_c)+O(\delta E)$, with period tending to $2\pi$. Its wavenumber tends to the neutral boundary $|k|=1$ of the unstable band, not to the fastest-growing wavenumber.

For a liquid film heated below and cooled above, the quasistatic temperature of a conductively cooled film makes a thicker region colder at the surface. If surface tension decreases with temperature, Marangoni stress draws fluid towards thicker regions, competing with smoothing by capillary pressure. Writing ${\gamma }_s={\gamma }_0+bh$ gives $a_c={\gamma }_0/(3\mu )$, $a_m=b/(2\mu )$. A balanced long-wave scaling gives $H_{\tau }+(H^2{H}_X{)}_X+(H^3{H}_{XXX}{)}_X=0$. The dispersion relation $s=k^2-k^4$ has unstable band $0<|k|<1$ and fastest normal mode at $|k|=1/\sqrt{2}$. This thermal mechanism does not require surfactant.