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A thin axisymmetric coating of physical thickness $d=ϵah$ on a rigid cylinder of radius $a$ has leading curvature $a^{-1}-d/a^2-d_{\bar{z}\bar{z}}$. With constant surface tension $\gamma$, negligible Newtonian gravity, no-slip boundary condition at the wall and negligible exterior stress, lubrication theory gives $q=-d^3{p}_{\bar{z}}/(3\mu )$. Set $z=\bar{z}/a$ and $t=\gamma {ϵ}^3\bar{t}/(3\mu a)$ to obtain the displayed thin-film equation. A perturbation of a uniform film $h_0$ proportional to $e^{st+ikz}$ hasThus the fastest Rayleigh–Plateau instability has $|k|=1/\sqrt{2}$, or physical wavelength $2\pi \sqrt{2}a$.

Take $x$ downslope and $z$ normal to the plane. To leading order in the lubrication approximation, Newtonian gravity gives the hydrostatic pressure $p=p_{\mathrm{atm}}+\rho g(h-z)$. The downslope Stokes equation is therefore $\mu u_{zz}=\rho g(h_x-\theta )$. Imposing the no-slip boundary condition at $z=0$ and the stress-free boundary condition at $z=h$ givesHere $\nu =\mu /\rho$ is the kinematic viscosity; $u$ is the downslope velocity. Applying mass conservation to this lubrication gravity-current flux,For typical thickness $H=\hat{h}$ and length $L=\hat{x}$, the transverse velocity is $O(UH/L)$ by incompressibility. Both convective terms are then $O(U^2/L)$, while transverse viscous acceleration is $O(\nu U/H^2)$. Thus the inertia criterion for an inclined viscous film is $U{H}^2/(\nu L)\ll 1$, in addition to $H/L\ll 1$. With evolution time $T\sim L/U$ the same condition controls unsteady inertia. If a faster time is independently imposed, also require $H^2/(\nu T)\ll 1$. Estimating $U$ from the velocity profile gives the two requested limits:

At long times, $h\sim A/x_N$ and the ratio of hydrostatic-gradient forcing to downslope Newtonian gravity in the bulk is $h_x/\theta =O(A/(\theta x_N^2))\ll 1$. Put $K=g\theta /(3\nu )$; the bulk conservation law is $h_t+(K{h}^3{)}_x=0$. The finite-volume gravity-driven thin-film current scales as $x\sim t^{1/3}$, $h\sim t^{-1/3}$. More explicitly, writing $h=t^{-1/3}f(\xi )$, $\xi =x/t^{1/3}$, givesThe constant of integration is zero for the zero-flux dry tail. ConsequentlyThe reduced bulk solution is zero outside this interval. Its thin nose region is resolved below. Integrating to impose the conserved area,The bulk front height is $h_N=3A/(2x_N)$, with $h_N^2=x_N/(3Kt)$. Differentiation of the front law givesEquivalently, this is the Rankine-Hugoniot condition for the bulk shock wave, whose speed is flux divided by height.

In moving coordinate $y=x-x_N(t)$, the full thin-film equation becomes $h_t{|}_y-{\dot{x}}_N{h}_y+q_y=0$. A nose thickness $h_N$ and slope $\theta$ give axial scale ${\ell }_N=h_N/\theta$. Since ${\ell }_N/x_N=O(A/(\theta x_N^2))\ll 1$, the explicit time derivative is smaller than translation by that ratio. The travelling front of a gravity-driven thin film is therefore quasisteady. Integrate once with dry-tip flux zero to obtain $q={\dot{x}}_{N}h$, orWith $f=h/h_N$, separation of variables and the convention $y=0$ at $f=0$ giveThe nose approaches $h_N$ exponentially far behind its tip, then falls to zero with a vertical tangent in this small-slope model. The requested sketch shows this monotone profile:

Expanding the inverse hyperbolic tangent, $f-\mathrm{atanh}f=-f^3/3+O(f^5)$, so $h\sim (-3\theta h_N^{2}y{)}^{1/3}$. Its slope has magnitude $\theta /f^2$ near the tip. The small-slope breakdown at an inclined-current nose occurs at $f=O(\sqrt{\theta })$, which givesFinally, surface tension produces a pressure-gradient scale $\gamma h_N/{\ell }_N^3$, whereas downslope Newtonian gravity gives $\rho g\theta$. Their ratio is $\gamma {\theta }^2/(\rho g{h}_N^2)$. Thus surface tension changes the principal nose length whenThis is a bulk-nose crossover; capillarity and contact-line physics can already affect a smaller region very close to the dry tip even when the bulk nose is Newtonian gravity dominated.

Let $\delta =H/L\ll 1$. Incompressibility makes the transverse velocity $O(\delta U)$. In the axial Navier-Stokes equation, transverse viscous stress scales as $\mu U/H^2$, longitudinal viscous stress as $\mu U/L^2$, and convective inertia as $\rho U^2/L$. Thus lubrication theory requiresUnsteady inertia is also negligible if $\rho H^2/(\mu T)\ll 1$; this coincides with the preceding condition when $T=L/U$. The transverse pressure variation is smaller than this pressure scale by $O({\delta }^2)$, and viscous normal stress at the free surface is similarly smaller. Consequently pressure is uniform across the film to leading order, while axial viscous shear balances its axial gradient. These estimates justify the lubrication approximation with small surface slopes and a slowly varying rigid wall.

Write the physical cylindrical-film thickness as $d=ϵ\bar{h}$, so that $\bar{h}=O(a)$, and use $\bar{z},\bar{t}$ for dimensional coordinates. For a surface of radius $a+d$, its outward mean curvature, with the convention giving cylindrical curvature $1/a$, isThe Young–Laplace equation gives $p=p_{\mathrm{ext}}+\gamma \kappa$. With local normal coordinate $y$ measured from the rigid cylinder, the axial velocity solves $\mu u_{yy}=p_{\bar{z}}$, with no-slip boundary condition at $y=0$ and stress-free boundary condition at $y=d$. ThereforeThe factors of circumference in axisymmetric mass conservation cancel at leading thin-film order, giving $d_{\bar{t}}+q_{\bar{z}}=0$. IntroduceThis produces the capillary instability of a thin film on a rigid cylinder governed byThe curvature term $h_z$ destabilizes long waves; the axial-curvature term $h_{zzz}$ smooths short waves.

Linearize about $h_0$ using $h=h_0+\eta e^{st+ikz}$ with small $\eta$. The linear equation is $s+h_0^3(-k^2+k^4)=0$, soThe growth rate is positive for $0<|k|<1$, zero at $k=0,\pm 1$, and negative for $|k|>1$. Its derivative is $2h_0^{3}k(1-2k^2)$, givingThe requested sketch is even in $k$:

For the Rayleigh–Plateau instability of an entire liquid cylinder in the purely viscous limit with negligible exterior viscosity, the fastest mode tends to infinite wavelength. The rigid-wall coating instead selects a finite wavelength. The difference comes from the flow resistance: a coating must shear across its thickness, so its long-wave growth vanishes as $k^2$; a free liquid cylinder can undergo nearly plug-like axial extension. For example, the long-wave free-cylinder balances ${\eta }_t+(a/2)u_z=0$ and $3\mu u_{zz}=-\gamma ({\eta }_z/a^2+{\eta }_{zzz})$ give $s\sim \gamma (1-a^2{k}^2)/(6\mu a)$, which does not vanish as $k\to 0$. This comparison is for the creeping-flow, negligible-exterior-viscosity limit; finite inertia or exterior viscosity changes the wavelength selection. The full free-cylinder dispersion relation is discussed in Plateau-Rayleigh Instability of a Cylinder of Viscous Liquid.

The collar is a quasisteady sliding collar on a coated cylinder. It must slowly grow as well as translate: an exact travelling wave would obey $q-ch=\text{constant}$, whereas its stationary uniform far films have $q=0$ and would require $-c{h}_{+}=-c{h}_{-}$. Thus the stipulated unequal films require the stated slow evolution of the collar amplitude. In its $h=O(1)$ core, $c\ll 1$ and the volume flux is small, so the leading pressure gradient vanishes: $h^{\prime }+h^{\prime \prime \prime }=0$. Integration gives a constant plus sine and cosine terms. Choose the collar centre at its maximum to remove the sine term, and parameterize its edge height as $B$. ThenThe core is a local capillary equilibrium. In the moving frame, swept-up volume minus deposited volume gives the growth rate $c(h_{+}-h_{-})$. Its leading excess volume is $2\pi A$, and for constant $B$,Thus the printed rate is the rate of collar volume, or an order-of-magnitude amplitude rate; interpreted as an exact equation for $\dot{A}$, it lacks $1/(2\pi )$. This slow change is smaller than the translational core terms by the small far-film thickness and does not alter the leading local matching below.

Near either edge $x_f=\pm \pi$, let $h_f$ denote the adjacent film thickness, $h_{-}$ at the rear and $h_{+}$ at the front. Across the short transition region the collar's slow growth is higher order, so local mass conservation integrates to $q=c(h-h_f)$. The axial third derivative dominates the first derivative in the capillary flux, givingFor collar-to-film capillary matching, chooseThe two sides become $c{h}_f{H}^3{H}^{\prime \prime \prime }$ and $c{h}_f(H-1)$ respectively, and henceThe resulting transition length is small compared with the core length: the matching relations below imply $h_f=O(c^{2/3}/A)$, so $h_f/c^{1/3}=O(c^{1/3}/A)$ for an order-one core amplitude.

To count admissible branches, put $H=1+\zeta$ and linearize. The characteristic equation is $r^3=1$, with rootsAt the rear, decay as $X\to -\infty$ permits only $\zeta \sim D{e}^X$. For the nontrivial branch growing into a positive collar, $D>0$; translation rescales $D$, leaving one orbit. This branch has positive $H^{\prime },H^{\prime \prime },H^{\prime \prime \prime }$. It exists for all forward $X$, since $0<H^{\prime \prime \prime }=(H-1)/H^3\le 4/27$ for $H\ge 1$, and once $H^{\prime \prime }>0$, $H$ grows at least quadratically. Then $H^{\prime \prime \prime }=O(X^{-4})$, so successive integrations give a quadratic asymptote with a finite constant term; translation removes the linear term. The constant solution is not a rear-to-collar match. On the downward branch, $H<1$ gives $H^{\prime \prime \prime }<0$ while $H^{\prime }$ and $H^{\prime \prime }$ are initially negative; the slope remains negative and $H$ reaches zero, so it cannot match a positive collar. Uniqueness here refers to the positive, nontrivial rear matching branch, modulo translations.

At the front, decay as $X\to +\infty$ permits the two real amplitudes inTranslation removes one degree of freedom, leaving one parameter $\lambda$. These oscillatory branches account for the small capillary ripples ahead of the collar. This local stable manifold count gives the family of front branches; admissible global branches must also remain positive and reach a parabolic core asymptote. It does not, by itself, prove the global uniqueness of the matching parameter supplied in the question.

Write the rear and front core asymptotes, after translation removes their linear terms, as $a_{-}{X}^2+b_{-}$ and $a_{+}(\lambda )X^2+b_{+}(\lambda )$. Expanding the outer collar near either edge giveswhereas the inner expansion givesMatching the constant and quadratic coefficients therefore yieldsEliminate $h_{-}/h_{+}$ to obtain $a_{+}(\lambda )b_{+}(\lambda )=a_{-}{b}_{-}$. Using the specified selected root ${\lambda }_0$ and writing $\alpha =a_{+}({\lambda }_0)$, $\beta =b_{+}({\lambda }_0)$,The physical branch has $\alpha >a_{-}$, as required by $h_{-}<h_{+}$. No numerical values of these universal matching coefficients are needed for the requested relations.

Finally, the energy source is decreasing capillary surface energy, not Newtonian gravity. This can be checked through the volume-constrained capillary energy of a cylindrical coating. The exact liquid volume per axial length is $\pi [(a+d{)}^2-a^2]$, and the free-surface area is $2\pi \int (a+d)\sqrt{1+d_{\bar{z}}^2}d\bar{z}$. Expanding the latter and eliminating $\int d$ with fixed exact volume gives the nonconstant quadratic partApart from its positive dimensional factor, this is the surface energy $\mathcal{E}=\frac{1}{2}\int (h_z^2-h^2)dz$. Its variational derivative is $-h-h_{zz}$, and the thin-film equation is a conserved gradient flow. With periodic or zero-energy-flux boundaries, integration by parts givesFor an isolated collar between unequal infinite films, use the corresponding local energy balance, including far-film fluxes and subtracting background energies; the unsubtracted total energy is infinite. Collecting film into the growing collar lowers surface energy, which supplies the viscous dissipation sustaining its slow motion.

Let $y$ measure distance normal to the plane. The normal momentum balance and capillary pressure condition giveThe downslope lubrication equation isApply no slip $u(0)=-U$ and zero tangential stress $u_y(h)=0$. Integration gives the fluxThe thin-film equation $h_t+q_x=0$ is therefore

Long-wave information near a uniform film propagates with the kinematic speedWhen $c>0$, disturbances travel from $x=-\infty$ into the domain, so $h\to h_0$ is an admissible upstream boundary condition. When $c<0$, information travels toward $x=-\infty$ from the pool, so the same condition cannot independently be imposed there.

A large collar translating slowly at speed $c$ over a film $h_{+}$ and leaving a thinner film $h_{-}$ must grow: its leading excess volume increases at rate $c(h_{+}-h_{-})$. An exact travelling wave connecting unequal stationary films is impossible, since integration of the thin-film equation would give a common constant $q-ch=-c{h}_{+}=-c{h}_{-}$. In a slowly evolving collar core the leading pressure gradient vanishes. Therefore $h^{\prime }+h^{\prime \prime \prime }=0$, and a centred, reflection-symmetric collar has $h=A(1+\cos x)+B$ on $-\pi <x<\pi$. Its leading volume is $2\pi A$, so for constant small $B$, $2\pi \dot{A}\simeq c(h_{+}-h_{-})$. The speed is supplied by collar-to-film capillary matching.

Expand the area of an axisymmetric cylindrical free surface to second order in film thickness and eliminate the first-order area term using conservation of the exact liquid volume. Up to positive factors and constants this gives the displayed surface energy. Its variation is $\delta \mathcal{E}/\delta h=-h-h_{zz}$. The thin-film equation is the conserved gradient flow $h_t={\partial }_z[h^3{\partial }_z(\delta \mathcal{E}/\delta h)]$. For periodic boundaries, or boundaries with vanishing energy flux,The decrease in capillary surface energy supplies viscous dissipation. On an infinite coating with unequal far films, use a local energy balance including boundary fluxes rather than an unsubtracted infinite energy integral.