Richard J.A.M. Stevens

Physics of Fluids · University of Twente

Publication 63 · Thermal convection

From zonal flow to convection rolls in Rayleigh-Bénard convection with free-slip plates

Q. Wang, K.L. Chong, R.J.A.M. Stevens, R. Verzicco, D. Lohse, J. Fluid Mech. 905, A21 (2020).

Main finding

Periodic free-slip boundaries permit unsheared horizontal winds; increasing domain width permits roll nucleation and can eliminate global zonal flow. In spanwise-rotating 3-D flow, stronger rotation makes global response and organization more 2-D-like. At 1/Ro=3.75, Γ=8 supports both zonal and roll states, while all tested Γ=16 initial conditions reach rolls.

Phase diagrams of convection state against aspect ratio, Rayleigh number and Prandtl number
How to read the figure. Flow state in (a) the Rayleigh-number/aspect-ratio plane and (b) the Prandtl-number/aspect-ratio plane. As the domain widens, the zonal-flow state gives way to convection rolls. Open the full-resolution figure. Figure 4. Q. Wang et al. (2020). No separate licence is stated here; consult the original publication and credited source before reuse.

Why this matters

Boundary conditions and domain size can select different flow organizations and heat-transport branches.

Research context

Free-slip periodic plates permit unsheared horizontal winds, while a wider domain permits roll nucleation. The branch selected in the simulations depends on domain width, rotation, and initial state, in contrast to the no-slip superstructures studied elsewhere.

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