| Abstract: | This study experimentally explored the fine structures of the successive period-doubling bifurcations of the time-dependent thermocapillary convection in a floating half zone of 10 cSt silicone oil with the diameter d0=3.00 mm and the aspect ratio A=l/d0=0.72 in terrestrial conditions.The onset of time-dependent thermocapillary convection predominated in this experimental configuration and its subsequent evolution were experimentally detected through the local temperature measurements.The experimental results revealed a sequence of period-doubling bifurcations of the time-dependent thermocapillary convection,similar in some way to one of the routes to chaos for buoyant natural convection.The critical frequencies and the corresponding fractal frequencies were extracted through the real-time analysis of the frequency spectra by Fast-Fourier-Transfor-mation(FFT).The projections of the trajectory onto the reconstructed phase-space were also provided.Furthermore,the experimentally predicted Feigenbaum constants were quite close to the theoretical asymptotic value of 4.669 Feigenbaum M J.Phys Lett A,1979,74:375-378]. |
