Synchronization in flickering of three-coupled candle flames

Area of Science:

• Fluid dynamics
• Nonlinear dynamics
• Combustion science

Background:

• Coupled oscillators often exhibit complex collective behaviors, including synchronization.
• Candle flames, as simple oscillators, can display flickering due to high-frequency oscillations in size and luminance when merged.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the collective behavior of three coupled candle flame oscillators.
• To identify and characterize different synchronized modes in a triangular arrangement.
• To understand the influence of inter-flame distance on mode occurrence and frequency.

Main Methods:

• Experimental setup involving three candle flames in a triangular arrangement.
• Observation and analysis of flame dynamics, size, and luminance oscillations.
• Systematic variation of inter-flame distances to study mode transitions.

Main Results:

• Observed four distinct synchronized modes: in-phase, partial in-phase, rotation, and a novel 'death' mode.
• The 'death' mode results in a cessation of oscillation and stable combustion.
• Established a correlation between inter-flame distance and the frequency of mode occurrence.

Conclusions:

• Coupled candle flames exhibit rich collective dynamics governed by spontaneous symmetry breaking.
• The 'death' mode represents a unique transition to stable combustion in this oscillatory system.
• Inter-flame distance is a critical parameter controlling the emergent synchronized behaviors and their dynamics.