Transition to Chaotic Behavior via a Reproducible Sequence of Period-Doubling Bifurcations

Abstract

We present the results of measurements of the vertical and horizontal temperature gradients in a Rayleigh-Benard cell. By an appropriate preparation of the initial state, the system can be brought into a single-frequency oscillatory regime. Further stepwise increase in the imposed temperature gradient makes the system go through a reproducible sequence of period-doubling bifurcations up to $\frac{f_1}{16}$. The Feigenbaum $\delta$ and $\mu$ universal numbers are determined.