Oscillatory and steady convection in dielectric liquid layers subjected to unipolar injection and temperature gradient

The effect of a temperature variation of both dielectric constant and ionic mobility on the stability of a horizontal dielectric liquid layer subjected to an electric field, weak unipolar injection, and heating from below is analyzed. Regions of steady and oscillatory convective instability are delineated by means of a Galerkin method as well as by direct computer integration of the thermoelectrohydrodynamic equations. A heuristic description of all relevant physical phenomena involved in the problem is also given.