Thermocapillary Flows Stability in Floating Zone Under Microgravity
O. Bouizi, C. Delcarte and G. Kasperski
The stability of the axisymmetric thermocapillary convection flow in a floating zone model is studied with high precision tools. The 2-D perturbation breaks the symmetry of the steady flow around the mid-plane linked to the chosen parabolic lateral heat flux. This is observed for all considered Prandtl number values, namely, Pr Œ[10-3, 10-1] » [9, 102]. A Hopf bifurcation is observed, giving rise to oscillatory flows, except for Pr Œ[3.4 ¥ 10-3, 3.15 ¥ 10-2] where a stationary transition occurs. To determine the mechanisms responsible for the growth of the perturbation requires various approaches.