Boundary layer length scales in thermal turbulence

Andrew Belmonte, Andreas Tilgner, Albert Libchaber

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

81 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present measurements of local temperature fluctuations from a convection cell of aspect ratio 1, using gas at room temperature, for Rayleigh numbers (Ra) ranging from 5×105 to 1×1011. The thermal boundary layer thickness is measured; its scaling is close to Ra-2/7 for Ra2×107. A second length scale is measured through the cutoff frequency of the power spectrum, which we relate to the velocity of the large scale circulation. The Rayleigh number dependence of this length changes at Ra=2×109.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)4067-4070
Number of pages4
JournalPhysical review letters
Volume70
Issue number26
DOIs
StatePublished - 1993

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Physics and Astronomy

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