Dynamic bifurcations and pattern formation in melting-boundary convection

Abstract

AbstractWe consider weakly nonlinear convection in a fluid layer with a melting top boundary. This leads us to derive a new set of non-autonomous envelope equations as a dynamic generalization to the well-known Ginzburg–Landau equation. However, this new system possesses a number of interesting properties not found in systems close to a traditional dynamic bifurcation, because it involves the interaction of two destabilizing mechanisms. We investigate the system both analytically and numerically; specifically, we find the robust ‘locking in’ of spatially complex patterns, and show this is a general feature of systems of this nature.