This study experimentally explored the fine structures of the successive period-doubling bifurcations of the time-dependent thermocapillary convection in a floating half zone of 10 cSt silicone oil with the diameter d 0 =3.00 mm and the aspect ratio A=l/d 0 =0.72 in terrestrial conditions. The onset of time-dependent thermocapillary convection predominated in this experimental configuration and its subsequent evolution were experimentally detected through the local temperature measurements. The experimental results revealed a sequence of period-doubling bifurcations of the time-dependent thermocapillary convection, similar in some way to one of the routes to chaos for buoyant natural convection. The critical frequencies and the corresponding fractal frequencies were extracted through the real-time analysis of the frequency spectra by Fast-Fourier-Transformation (FFT). The projections of the trajectory onto the reconstructed phase-space were also provided. Furthermore, the experimentally predicted Feigenbaum constants were quite close to the theoretical asymptotic value of 4.669 [Feigenbaum M J. Phys Lett A, 1979, 74: 375-378].
The velocity fields of oscillatory convection have been measured using the techniques ofParticle Image Velocimetry (PlY) in a liquid bridge of half floating zone with small typical scales of a few millimeters for emphasizing the thermocapillary effect in comparison with the effect of buoyancy. The flow patterns ofthe oscillatory flow have been studied experimentally in a liquid bridge. The flow patterns in the liquid bridge are classified with mode numbers according to oscillatory flow characteristics.Results ofthe experiment show that the mode depends on the aspect ratio as well as the volume ratio of the liquid bridge. The experimental results are helpful for studying the structure of flow at the onset of oscillatory thermocapillary convection in a liquid bridge.
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