Current trends and future directions in turbulent thermal convection

Abstract

The system of turbulent thermal convection is introduced. Progresses in recent decades in the four major areas of research in turbulent convection are briefly reviewed. Some of the recent trends of the field are then discussed, which also serve to point out that the future directions in this important field of fluid mechanics lie in the extension to the non-standard or non-classical Rayleigh—Bénard configuration.