Dynamics of the deep water formation in the ocean--experimental approach--

研究了刚性边界条件下旋转对流的水平尺度。所涉及的瑞利数的范围是适中的，即，大到足以引起有限振幅对流，小到足以引起显著的地转过程，考虑到Nusselt数的实验规律和基本地转过程的某些约束条件，可以估计对流的水平尺度。这种估计强烈地依赖于Ekman层和热边界层的厚度之间的比率，并且不单调地依赖于Rayleigh数。这种依赖关系与Rossby（1969）的实验结果相一致。利用分散在工作流体中的热液晶囊来显示水平方向的温度分布。水平尺度是通过计算涡旋来测量的。实验结果与估算的尺度相当吻合。

Horizontal scale of rotating convection with rigid boundary conditions is studied. The range of Rayleigh number concerned is moderate, i.e., large enough to induce a finite amplitude convection but small enough so that the geostrophic processes are significant.Considering experimental law of Nusselt number and some constraints of elemental geostrophic processes, the horizontal scale of the convection can be estimated. This estimation strongly depends on the ratio between thicknesses of the Ekman layr and the thermal boundary layr, and does not depend monotonically on the Rayleigh number. This dependency is compatible with the experimental results of Rossby (1969).The estimated horizontal scale was checked by laboratory experiments. The horizontal temperature distribution was visualized by thermal 1iquid crystal capsules dispersed in the working fluid. The horizontal scale was measured by counting vortices. The experimental results agrees fairly well with the estimated scale.