Rayleigh-Benard Convection
A project inspired by the lava lamp

Objective: Describe the emergence of hexagonal patterns in the convective flow of a slab of liquid (between two parallel plates) when the lower plate is heated. This analysis is found in Chandrasekhar's book Hydrodynamic and Hydromagnetic Stability pages 9-75.

Build and analyze the two dimensional analogue of Benard convection: A strip of soap film heated along one edge.