Effect of Spin on Natural Convection in Mercury Heated from Below

Abstract

In the absence of spin, natural convection between two horizontal surfaces in mercury heated from below is found to be given by the formula N=0.051R⅓ where N is the Nusselt number and R the Rayleigh number. Spinning the mercury about a vertical axis reduces the amount of convection after a certain value of the spin (Taylor number) is exceeded. This value of the Taylor number increases with increasing heat flux. Turbulent fluctuation of the temperatures of the bounding surfaces are observed and under some circumstances periodic oscillations of the temperature of the bounding surface are also noted.