Laboratory and Theoretical Studies in Geological Fluid Mechanics

本项目是建造一个对流槽充满了一个 诸如玉米糖浆之类的流体，其粘度对 温度变化。 它的下面是一个平台， 玻璃表面在恒定的温度和边界以上的薄 相对低粘度不混溶流体层 硅油或煤油。 在那层上面是一个平板玻璃 表面的温度比下面的温度低。 广度 坦克的深度至少是五倍， 具有大纵横比的电池是可能的。 则期望 在物理范围内获得尽可能高的瑞利数 液体和油箱的限制。 有了这个， 至20 cm深度的测试流体，这将导致瑞利数 超过一百万。 我们预计，上述 配置将显示对流更接近相信， 存在于地幔中，有热流体的柱状热气流上升 从底部边界层和更多的片状冷 热气流从顶部下降。

This project is to construct a convection tank filled with a fluid such as corn syrup whose viscosity is very sensitive to temperature variations. It is to be bounded below by a flat glass surface at constant temperature and bounded above by a thin layer of relatively low viscosity immiscible fluid such as silicon oil or kerosine. Above that layer is a flat glass surface at a constant colder temperature than below. The breadth of the tank is to be at least five times the depth so that many cells with large aspect ratio are possible. It is desired to attain as high a Rayleigh number as possible within the physical limitations of the fluids and tank. With this one can attain up to 20 cm depth of test fluid that will lead to a Rayleigh number in excess of a million. We anticipate that the above configuration will exhibit convection closer to that believed to exist in the mantle, with columnar thermals of hot fluid rising from the bottom boundary layer and with more sheetlike cold thermals descending from the top.