Stability of Kuramoto-Sivashinsky fronts in moving fluid

We analyze the effects of an external Couette flow on reactions fronts described by the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation. The fronts propagate in a two-dimensional slab confined by two parallel plates moving in opposite directions. The fronts can propagate in the same direction or against the external flow. We obtain steady front solutions by solving numerically the nonlinear time-independent equations. A linear stability analysis determines the stability of the fronts. The fronts and their stability depend on the slab width and on the relative velocity between the plates. These parameters have the potential to modify unstable fronts into stable fronts. We compare our results with fronts developed under a Poiseuille flow.