Nonlinear analysis of capillary instability with heat and mass transfer

The nonlinear capillary instability of the cylindrical interface between the vapor and liquid phases of a fluid is studied when there is heat and mass transfer across the interface, using viscous potential flow theory. The fluids are considered to be viscous and incompressible with different kinematic viscosities. Both asymmetric and axisymmetric disturbances are considered. The analysis is based on the method of multiple scale perturbation and the nonlinear stability is governed by first-order nonlinear partial differential equation. The stability conditions are obtained and discussed theoretically as well as numerically. Regions of stability and instability have been shown graphically indicating the effect of various parameters. It has been observed that the heat and mass transfer has stabilizing effect on the stability of the system in the nonlinear analysis for both axisymmetric as well as asymmetric disturbances. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.