Traveling waves in a fluid layer subjected to a horizontal temperature gradient

Abstract

We report experimental observations of traveling waves in a pure fluid with a free surface situated in a long container submitted to a horizontal temperature gradient perpendicular to its large extension. Above a critical value of the gradient and depending on the height of liquid h, a source of propagating waves is created in the container for small values of h, while stationary patterns arise for larger values of h. The spatiotemporal properties of the waves are studied and compared to available theoretical predictions.