The shadowgraph method in convection experiments

The shadowgraph method is applied to thermal convection experiments and electro-hydrodynamic convection (EHC) in nematic liquid crystals. In both cases convection leads to a spatially periodic field of the refractive index causing a spatially periodic intensity modulation of parallel light passing the cell. Close to the onset of convection the temperature or director field is given by linear stability analysis. Knowing these functions the determination of their amplitudes becomes possible by means of the shadowgraph method. The method is demostrated using various examples of thermal and EHC convection experiments.