Order and fluctuations in nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of two-dimensional fluids

Finite systems of hard disks placed in a temperature gradient and in an external constant field have been studied, simulating a fluid heated from below. We used the methods of nonequilibrium molecular dynamics. The goal was to observe the onset of convection in the fluid. Systems of more than 5000 particles have been considered and the choice of parameters has been made in order to have a Rayleigh number larger than the critical one calculated from the hydrodynamic equations. The appearance of rolls and the large fluctuations in the velocity field are the main features of these simulations.