Effect of heating or cooling in a suspension of phototactic algae with no-slip boundary conditions

In this study, we investigate the impact of heating or cooling in a suspension experiencing phototactic bioconvection. The suspension is illuminated by collimated irradiation from the top and subjected to heating or cooling from the bottom. The governing equations include the Navier Stokes equations with the Boussinesq approximation, the diffusion equation for motile microorganisms, and the energy equation for temperature. Employing linear perturbation theory, we analyse the linear stability of the suspension. The findings predict that the suspension undergoes destabilization when heated from below and stabilization when cooled from below. This suggests a sensitive dependence of the system's stability on the thermal conditions, providing valuable insights into the behavior of phototactic bioconvection under different heating or cooling scenarios.

S. K. Rajput, M. K. Panda · 2023