Oscillatory Traveling-Wave Convection in a Finite Container

Abstract
It has been proposed that the oscillatory traveling-wave states recently observed at the onset of convection in ethanol-water mixtures can be explained in terms of the linear properties of the waves, taking into account their reflection at lateral boundaries. We present experimental results which support this picture and explore a number of properties of this physical situation, including the existence of states which are modulated by a second frequency at onset.