For , the first temperature mode is . The streamfunction advection bracket is , independent of . The second-order equations therefore have and
This modifies the vertical temperature gradient. Its interaction with the critical roll produces the cubic term in the amplitude equation.
The full perturbation equations are
where the streamfunction advection bracket is . Put and introduce the slow time , so on the amplitude-dependent fields. Then
The weakly nonlinear expansion balances the small linear growth against the cubic saturation on this slow time scale.