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Long-Wavelength Instability in Surface-Tension-Driven Benard Convection
Laboratory studies reveal a deformational instability that leads to a drained
region (dry spot) in an initially flat liquid layer (with a free upper surface)
heated uniformly from below. This long-wavelength instability supplants
hexagonal convection cells as the primary instability in viscous liquid layers
that are sufficiently thin or are in microgravity. The instability occurs at a
temperature gradient 34% smaller than predicted by linear stability theory.
Numerical simulations show a drained region qualitatively similar to that seen
in the experiment.Comment: 4 pages. The RevTeX file has a macro allowing various styles. The
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