The Oscillatory 2D Convective States of a Binary Fluid Confined in Small Cavity

(Received 7 May 1996, revised 1 July 1996, accepted 19 September 1996)

Abstract
2D accurate numerical experiments have been performed with a Boussinesq binary fluid subject to Soret effect and confined in a small (length/height = 2) cavity. The steady convective states observed close to the threshold from conduction to convection, for a separation ratio fixed at -0.2, are not made of standing waves. Rather, they can be seen as made of unbalanced and phase shifted counterpropagating traveling waves. The salient features of these flows are reported, their temporal characteristics in particular.