In nature, erosion patterns are driven by the interactions of flow and topography. Here, researchers study that process in the lab by placing an inclined block of caramel in quiescent Keep reading
Tag: Rayleigh-Benard instability
Convection Cells
Human eyesight is not always the best for observing how nature behaves around us. Fortunately, we’ve developed cameras and sensors that allow us to effectively see in wavelengths beyond those Keep reading
Convective Cells
Convective cells form as fluid is heated from below. As the fluid near the bottom warms, its density decreases and buoyancy causes it to rise while cooler fluid descends to Keep reading
Convection Visualization
Here on Earth a fascinating form of convection occurs every time we put a pot of water on the stove. As the fluid near the burner warms up, its density Keep reading
2D Convection
This simulation shows 2D Rayleigh-Benard convection in which a fluid of uniform initial temperature is heated from below and cooled from above. This is roughly analogous to the situation of Keep reading
Benard Cells
When a fluid in a gravitational field is heated from below, it can develop a Rayleigh-Benard instability which causes the formation of convection cells as in the video above. The Keep reading