An experimental study of the behavior of transient isolated convection in a rigidly rotating fluid

The temperature field of starting thermal plumes were measured in a rotating annulus with various rotation rates and buoyancies. The experiments revealed many details of the internal structure of these convective phenomena and also significant horizontal displacements from their source. Measurements show an increase in the maximum temperature observed in the thermal caps with increasing rotation and a more rapid cooling of the buoyancy source.List of symbols D angle relating inward centripetal acceleration to buoyant acceleration, defined by tan D = R/g - g gravitational acceleration - P total pressure of ambient fluid - R radial coordinate measured from rotation axis - R₀ distance from rotation axis to buoyancy source - u velocity of fluid parcel along the radial direction - velocity of fluid parcel along the azimuthal direction - w velocity of fluid parcel along the axial direction - z axial coordinate, measured upward from the plane containing the buoyancy source - density of a buoyant parcel of fluid - ₀ density of the ambient fluid - azimuthal angle measured from the radial line passing through the buoyancy source - rotation rate of the R––z coordinate system in radians/second