Presidential Young Investigator Award: The Finite-AmplitudeInstability Of Dynamic Thermocapillary Liquid Layers

本研究将涉及非线性热毛管不稳定性。特别地，将建立斜行有限振幅平面波扰动的时相关问题。这一分析将提供由于热毛细效应而导致的剪切层运动演化的信息。由此得出的知识对空间微重力环境下的单晶浮区加工具有重要意义。在这里，熔体区热毛细对流的不稳定性将是主要的加工限制之一。

This research will deal with the nonlinear thermocapillary instabilities. In particular, the time-dependent problem of the obliquely-travelling finite amplitude plane-wave disturbances will be formulated. This analysis will provide information on the evolution of the motion in a shear layer due to thermocapillary effects. The knowledge derived here should be of significant importance to float-zone processing of single crystals in the micro-gravity environment of space. Here, the instability of thermocapillary convection in the melt zone will be one of the principal processing restrictions.