Abstract
In thermal convection, coherent flow structures emerge at high Rayleigh numbers as a result of intrinsic hydrodynamic instability and self-organization. They range from small-scale thermal plumes that are produced near both the top and the bottom boundaries to large-scale circulations across the entire convective volume. These flow structures exert viscous forces upon any boundary. Such forces will affect a boundary which is free to deform or change position. In our experiment, we study the dynamics of a free boundary that floats on the upper surface of a convective fluid. This seemingly passive boundary is subjected solely to viscous stress underneath. However, the boundary thermally insulates the fluid, modifying the bulk flow. As a consequence, the interaction between the free boundary and the convective flow results in a regular oscillation. We report here some aspects of the fluid dynamics and discuss possible links between our experiment and continental drift.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 115105 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-12 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Physics of Fluids |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2005 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Computational Mechanics
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Mechanics of Materials
- Mechanical Engineering
- Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes