Comment on ``Simulation of a two-dimensional Rayleigh-Benard system using the direct simulation Monte Carlo method``

Journal Article · Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1995 · Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.51.3784· OSTI ID:27858

Garcia, A L ^[1]; Baras, F; Mansour, M M ^[2]

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1. Institute for Scientific Computing Research L-416, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)
2. Center for Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems and Faculte des Sciences, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Campus Plaine, Code Postal 231, B-1050 Brussels (Belgium)

In a recent paper, Watanabe, Kaburaki, and Yokokawa [Phys. Rev. E 49, 4060 (1994)] used a direct simulation Monte Carlo method to study Rayleigh-Benard convection. They reported that, using stress-free boundary conditions, the onset of convection in the simulation occurred at a Rayleigh number much larger than the critical Rayleigh number predicted by a linear stability analysis. We show that the source of the discrepancy is their omission of a temperature jump effect in the calculation of the Rayleigh number.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 27858
• Journal Information: Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics, Vol. 51, Issue 4; Other Information: PBD: Apr 1995
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
CONVECTIVE INSTABILITIES
MONTE CARLO METHOD
FLUID FLOW
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
STRESSES
NAVIER-STOKES EQUATIONS