Nonlinear stability threshold for 3D compressible Couette flow

TL;DR

This paper establishes a nonlinear stability threshold of order (^{3/2}) for 3D compressible Couette flow, advancing understanding of stability in complex fluid systems with wave interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a refined frequency-space approach and new multiplier estimates to analyze nonlinear stability in 3D compressible flows, addressing a previously open problem.

Findings

Established the nonlinear stability threshold (^{3/2}) for 3D compressible Couette flow.

Developed a systematic method to handle nonlinear coupling of diffusion, acoustic waves, and lift-up mechanisms.

Introduced new multiplier estimates and decomposition techniques for the compressible Navier--Stokes equations.

Abstract

We establish the nonlinear stability threshold $O(\nu^{3/2})$ for the three-dimensional Couette flow governed by the compressible Navier--Stokes equations. While stability thresholds are well understood in two dimensions for both compressible and incompressible flows, and in three dimensions for incompressible flows, the three-dimensional compressible case remains open due to additional structural features, strong mode interactions, and wave coupling. The proof is based on a refined frequency-space approach. For zero modes, we improve upon two-dimensional methods by clearly separating and precisely estimating the main contributions from diffusion waves, acoustic waves, and the lift-up mechanism, leading to a systematic way to handle their nonlinear coupling. For the non-zero modes, we introduce new multiplier estimates and a decomposition based on the structure of the compressible system, which allows us to track the interaction between dissipation and acoustic effects.