Modal and non-modal linear stability of the plane Bingham–Poiseuille flow

Abstract

The receptivity problem of plane Bingham–Poiseuille flow with respect to weak perturbations is addressed. The relevance of this study is highlighted by the linear stability analysis results (spectra and pseudospectra). The first part of the present paper thus deals with the classical normal-mode approach in which the resulting eigenvalue problem is solved using the Chebychev collocation method. Within the range of parameters considered, the Poiseuille flow of Bingham fluid is found to be linearly stable. The second part investigates the most amplified perturbations using the non-modal approach. At a very low Bingham number (B ≪ 1), the optimal disturbance consists of almost streamwise vortices, whereas at moderate or large B the optimal disturbance becomes oblique. The evolution of the obliqueness as function of B is determined. The linear analysis presented also indicates, as a first stage of a theoretical investigation, the principal challenges of a more complete nonlinear study.