Combined buoyancy-thermocapillary convection

Combined buoyancy-thermocapillary convection was studied in 2D and 3D. Fluid motion caused by thermally induced tension gradients on the free surface of a fluid is termed thermocapillary convection. It is well-known that in containerless processing of materials in space, thermocapillary convection is a dominant mechanism of fluid flow. Welding and crystal growth processes are terrestrial applications where thermocapillary convection has direct relevance.