Summary: J. Fluid Mech. (2010), vol. 642, pp. 15­48. c Cambridge University Press 2009
doi:10.1017/S0022112009991686
15
Strong non-Boussinesq effects near the onset
of convection in a fluid near its critical point
GUENTER AHLERS1
, BERND DRESSEL2
, JAECHUL OH3
AND WERNER PESCH2
1
Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
2
Physikalisches Institut, Universit¨at Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
3
Plasma Physics Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA
(Received 23 March 2009; revised 13 August 2009; accepted 14 August 2009;
first published online 16 November 2009)
Measurements of fluctuations and convection patterns in horizontal layers of fluid
heated from below and near the onset of Rayleigh­B´enard convection (RBC)
are reported under conditions where the fluid properties vary strongly over the

Source: Ahlers, Guenter - Department of Physics, University of California at Santa Barbara
Schmidt, Matthias - Physikalisches Institut, Universität Bayreuth

Collections: Materials Science; Physics