Multicellular structures in thin free liquid films induced by thermocapillary effect.

Hypothesis: Multicellular convective structures that are induced in a fluid exposed to temperature difference are commonly observed in nature and in daily life. Different types of basic flow patterns are induced in a free liquid film by thermocapillary effect, whereas the formation of such multicellular structures has not been hitherto unravelled.

Experiments: A thin film of high-Prandtl-number liquid is prepared in a rectangular aperture of the order of 0.