Numerical and laboratory experiments of sidewall heating thermohaline convection

Numeri al and laboratory experiments of sidewall heating thermohaline onve tion C. Sabbah, R. Pasquetti, R. Peyret Lab. J.A. Dieudonné, UNSA, UMR CNRS 6621, Ni e, Fran e V. Levitsky, Y.D. Chashe hkin Institute for Problems in Me hani s, Mos ow, Russia Abstra t Spe tral al ulations of the ow whi h develops near a heated verti al wall in a uid stably stratied by a salinity gradient are arried out. The ase of weak strati a- tion and heating due to a onstant heat ux is onsidered. The numeri al results are ompared to experimental ones. Both on qualitative and quantitative arguments, a satisfa tory agreement is obtained. The ell formation pro ess is dis ussed by fo us- ing on the o urren e of ounter-rotative ells and on the instability phenomenon of the simultaneous reation of ells. The high sensitivity of su h phenomena to slight disturban es at the initial time is pointed out. 1 Introdu tion Thermohaline experiments were mainly stimulated by the dis overy of layered stru tures in the o ean or in the atmosphere, where thi k homogeneous layers are separated by thin high gradient interfa es (see e.g. [1?). It is now re ognized that one me hanism whi h an lead to the formation of su h sharp interfa es is double diusive onve tion, i.

• tion


• uid refra tive


• ux density


• al ulations whi


• uid


• multi-domain method


• uniform heat


• ounter-rotating ells


• initial onditions


• numeri al