Non-linear effects in a Rayleigh–Bénard experiment

Abstract

Observations of temperature drop as a function of heat flow in Rayleigh–Bénard convection with curved density profiles show: (1) reversal of slope in the heating curve, (2) oscillations with time, (3) history dependence, and (4) an increase in critical Rayleigh number as the curvature of the density profile is increased. Some of the results are quite similar to the predictions of Busse.