Stability of an interior Hele-Shaw blob under injection and suction (${\dot{a}}_n=-\frac{(n+1)Q}{2\pi h{R}^2}{a}_n$)

For viscous fluid inside a circular fluid free boundary between parallel plates of separation $h$, the depth-averaged Hele-Shaw flow satisfies $\bar{u}=-K\nabla p$, $K=h^2/(12\mu )$. With volume injection rate $Q$, ${\bar{u}}_r=Q/(2\pi hr)$ and $R^2=R_0^2+Qt/(\pi h)$. Neglecting surface tension and exterior viscosity, pressure is constant at the interface. Perturb its radius by $a_n\cos n\theta$ and solve the interior Laplace equation with a regular pressure term proportional to $r^n\cos n\theta$. The linearized pressure boundary condition gives $\delta p(R)=a_{n}Q/(2\pi hKR)$, hence velocity perturbation $-n{a}_{n}Q/(2\pi h{R}^2)$. The displaced base velocity adds another $-a_{n}Q/(2\pi h{R}^2)$, proving the displayed growth law. Injection stabilizes the circular blob; suction destabilizes it. An exact radial solution can therefore exist while giving a fragile experimental prediction. These signs concern viscous fluid inside the blob, rather than the opposite geometry of a low-viscosity injected bubble.