Transitions in shallow convection - An explanation for lateral cell expansion

The generalized, seven-coefficient model presented for two-dimensional Rayleigh-Benard convection successfully simulates one way in which lateral cell expansion can occur as the value of the imposed vertical temperature difference is changed. The triad of interacting wavenumbers is varied as the ver...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the atmospheric sciences 1984-08, Vol.41 (15), p.2334-2346
Main Authors: Chang, H.-R., Shirer, H. N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Convection, turbulence, diffusion. Boundary layer structure and dynamics
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Meteorology
Meteorology And Climatology
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The generalized, seven-coefficient model presented for two-dimensional Rayleigh-Benard convection successfully simulates one way in which lateral cell expansion can occur as the value of the imposed vertical temperature difference is changed. The triad of interacting wavenumbers is varied as the vertical heating rate is varied and only the energetically active components are retained, so that transitional behavior within two-dimensional convective flow can be both simulated and physically interpreted as the representation of the cell expansion process via successive secondary branching. It is found that while a two-dimensional cell broadening mechanism is likely to operate for small Prandtl number values, a three-dimensional mechanism is expected at values greater than about 0.7.
ISSN:0022-4928
1520-0469
DOI:10.1175/1520-0469(1984)041<2334:TISCAE>2.0.CO;2