Variable Viscosity Effects on Penetrative Convection in a Fluid Layer

Abstract

The effect of variable viscosity on the onset of penetrative convection simulated via internal heating in a fluid layer. The upper surface of a fluid layer is assumed to be deformably free and dependence of viscosity is assumed to be exponential. The resulting eigen value problem is solved using a regular perturbation technique with wave number a as a perturbation parameter. The viscosity parameter, surface deformation and the presence of internal heat source play a decisive role on the stability characteristics of the system.