Thermal instability induced by buoyancy and surface tension with radiative transfer

Abstract

The onset of steady, cellular convection in a horizontal fluid layer heated from below is considered taking into account the possibility of radiative heat transfer in addition to conduction and convection. The radiation is found to have a stabilizing effect even in the presence of surface tension. The effect of surface viscosity and surface deflexion are also discussed. The coupling between the surface tension and buoyancy becomes weaker as the radiative heat transfer rate is increased.