Papers Published
Abstract:
Rayleigh–Bénard convection is studied and quantitative
comparisons are made, where possible, between theory and
experiment by performing numerical simulations of the
Boussinesq equations for a variety of experimentally
realistic situations. Rectangular and cylindrical geometries
of varying aspect ratios for experimental boundary
conditions, including fins and spatial ramps in plate
separation, are examined with particular attention paid to
the role of the mean flow. A small cylindrical convection
layer bounded laterally either by a rigid wall, fin, or a
ramp is investigated and our results suggest that the mean
flow plays an important role in the observed wavenumber.
Analytical results are developed quantifying the mean flow
sources, generated by amplitude gradients, and its effect on
the pattern wavenumber for a large-aspect-ratio cylinder
with a ramped boundary. Numerical results are found to agree
well with these analytical predictions. We gain further
insight into the role of mean flow in pattern dynamics by
employing a novel method of quenching the mean flow
numerically. Simulations of a spiral defect chaos state
where the mean flow is suddenly quenched is found to remove
the time dependence, increase the wavenumber and make the
pattern more angular in nature.