Abstract
Pattern formation in a finite layer of fluid induced either by buoyancy or by a surface-tension gradient is considered. The fluid is confined between poor conducting horizontal boundaries, leading to patterns with a characteristic horizontal scale much larger than the fluid depth. The evolution of the system is studied by numerical integration of the (1+2)D equation introduced by Knobloch [1990]: [Formula: see text] Here µ is the scaled bifurcation parameter, κ=1, and a represents the effects of a heat transfer finite Biot number. The coefficients β, δ and γ do not vanish when the boundary conditions at top and bottom are not identical (β≠0, δ≠0) or when non-Boussinesq effects are taken into account (γ≠0). When the conductive state becomes unstable due to surface-tension inhomogeneities, it is shown that the system evolves towards a stationary pattern of hexagons with up or down flow depending on the relative value of the coefficients β and δ. In the case of buoyancy-driven convection (β=δ≠0), the system displays a tesselation of steady squares. Knobloch’s equation also describes time-dependent patterns at high thermal gradients, including spatio-temporal chaos, due to the non-variational character of the equation.
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