The evolution and interaction of Marangoni-Bénard solitary waves

Abstract

Marangoni-Bénard convection is the process by which oscillatory waves are generated on an interface due to a change in surface tension. This process, which can be mass or temperature driven is described by a perturbed Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation. The evolution and interaction of solitary waves generated by Marangoni-Bénard convection is examined. The solitary wave with steady-state amplitude, which occurs when the excitation and friction terms of the perturbed KdV equation are in balance is found to second-order in the perturbation parameter. This solitary wave has a fixed amplitude, which depends on the coefficients of the perturbation terms in the governing equation. The evolution of ..