When the imposed magnetic field vanishes, the dynamical dispersion relation becomes
The nonstationary hydrodynamic branch therefore has . The radial Solberg–Høiland instability criterion in this local model is
The radial buoyancy frequency supplies either restoration or a driving force, while the radial epicyclic frequency supplies rotational restoration. Zero sum is marginal, and positive sum gives stable oscillations. The neutral roots do not themselves signify exponential growth.
Because both equilibrium pressure and dimensionless specific entropy decrease outward, their radial gradients have the same sign. The leading minus sign in the expression for therefore makes : the radial stratification is adverse. For smooth profiles varying over radius , and , so
For a thin disk, the magnitude of this negative radial buoyancy frequency squared is much less than . Rotation stabilizes the hydrodynamic mode despite the adverse entropy gradient. This estimate assumes gradients on the global radial scale; a sharp thermal feature may be different. It addresses the ideal nondiffusive equations here. Processes such as convective overstability require additional thermal relaxation and are not ruled out by this particular criterion.