Non-oberbeck-boussinesq effects in gaseous Rayleigh-Bénard convection

Phys Rev Lett. 2007 Feb 2;98(5):054501. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.054501. Epub 2007 Jan 29.

Abstract

Non-Oberbeck-Boussinesq (NOB) effects are measured experimentally and calculated theoretically for strongly turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection of ethane gas under pressure where the material properties strongly depend on the temperature. Relative to the Oberbeck-Boussinesq case we find a decrease of the central temperature as compared to the arithmetic mean of the top- and bottom-plate temperature and an increase of the Nusselt number. Both effects are of opposite sign and greater magnitude than those for NOB convection in liquids like water.