Nonlinear stability threshold for 3D compressible Couette flow
Abstract
We establish the nonlinear stability threshold 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.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2605.07538,
title = {Nonlinear stability threshold for 3D compressible Couette flow},
author = {Rui Li and Fei Wang and Lingda Xu and Zeren Zhang},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2605.07538},
year = {2026}
}