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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.01582 |
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| _version_ | 1866917159097073664 |
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| author | Kupka, F. Fabbian, D. Zaussinger, F. Krüger, D. Gizon, L. |
| author_facet | Kupka, F. Fabbian, D. Zaussinger, F. Krüger, D. Gizon, L. |
| contents | Horizontally-periodic Boussinesq Rayleigh-Bénard Convection (RBC) is a simple model system to study the formation of large-scale structures in turbulent convective flows. We performed a suite of 2D numerical simulations of RBC between no-slip boundaries at different Prandtl (Pr) and Rayleigh (Ra) numbers, such that their product is representative of the Sun's upper convection zone. When the fluid viscosity is sufficiently low (Pr $\lesssim 0.1$) and turbulence is strong (Ra $> 10^6$) we find that large structures begin to couple in time and space. For Pr = 0.01 we observe long-lived swaying oscillations of the upflows and downflows, which synchronize over multiple convection cells. This new regime of oscillatory convection may offer an interpretation for the wave-like properties of the dominant scale of convection on the Sun (supergranulation). |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_01582 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Swaying oscillations in Rayleigh-Bénard convection cast new light on solar convection Kupka, F. Fabbian, D. Zaussinger, F. Krüger, D. Gizon, L. Solar and Stellar Astrophysics Horizontally-periodic Boussinesq Rayleigh-Bénard Convection (RBC) is a simple model system to study the formation of large-scale structures in turbulent convective flows. We performed a suite of 2D numerical simulations of RBC between no-slip boundaries at different Prandtl (Pr) and Rayleigh (Ra) numbers, such that their product is representative of the Sun's upper convection zone. When the fluid viscosity is sufficiently low (Pr $\lesssim 0.1$) and turbulence is strong (Ra $> 10^6$) we find that large structures begin to couple in time and space. For Pr = 0.01 we observe long-lived swaying oscillations of the upflows and downflows, which synchronize over multiple convection cells. This new regime of oscillatory convection may offer an interpretation for the wave-like properties of the dominant scale of convection on the Sun (supergranulation). |
| title | Swaying oscillations in Rayleigh-Bénard convection cast new light on solar convection |
| topic | Solar and Stellar Astrophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.01582 |