Thermal Convection in a Central Force Field Mediated by Sound

Convection in radial force fields is a fundamental process behind weather on Earth and the Sun, as well as magnetic dynamo action in both. Until now, benchtop experiments have been unable to study convection in radial force fields due to the inability to generate radial forces of sufficient strength. Recently, it has been appreciated that sound, when averaged over many cycles, exerts a force on density gradients in the gas it travels through. The acoustic radiation pressure on thermal gradients draws cooler gas to regions with large time-averaged acoustic velocity and can be modeled as an effective acoustic gravity. We have constructed a system which generates a high amplitude, spherically symmetric acoustic wave in a rotating spherical bulb containing weakly ionized sulfur gas. Without sound, the gas stratifies itself into an initial state with the warmest gas near the center of the bulb, and the coolest gas near the bulb surface. When the sound is initiated, the acoustic radiation pressure is not balanced and a convective instability is triggered. With high speed videography, we observe the initial shape and growth rate of the most unstable mode at various acoustic amplitudes. Acoustic and rotational forces both contribute to the detailed mode shape, which changes qualitatively at low amplitudes where acoustic forces no longer surpass rotational ones everywhere in the bulb.