Kueppers-Lortz Instability


In rotating systems the usual straight convection rolls become unstable to rolls rotated by about 60 degrees, which in turn are again unstable to rolls rotated further. In systems with large aspect ratio this instability leads to persistent irregular dynamics characterized by shrinking and growing domains of rolls with different orientation. Below is shown a sequence of snapshots displaying these dynamics (Zhong and Ecke, 1992).