It is common knowledge that light fluids rise while heavy fluids sink in the gravity field. The most obvious case is the isothermal Rayleigh-Taylor instability when a heavy fluid is placed on top of a light one. In the nonisothermal case, while heating from above, the density stratification is stable in a pure liquid. However, unstable density stratification might be established in a binary mixture with a negative Soret effect in the case of heating from above: the heavier liquid is accumulated on the top of the lighter one. Due to the large differences between viscous, thermal, and diffusion times the system has a tendency to fingering buoyant instabilities. At some moment the flow may be initiated. Near the onset of convection the flow pattern has a columnar convective structure: for a relatively low applied temperature difference $\mathrm{\Delta }T$ the lighter and colder liquid is drawn up in the central part of the cell and the heavier liquid flows down along the walls. For finite size systems the situation is reversed at higher $\mathrm{\Delta }T$. Here we present results of three-dimensional direct numerical simulations of heat and mass transfer in a system with a negative Soret effect. While the development of Soret-induced convection is similar for a wide class of liquids: water based mixtures, colloidal, and polymer solutions, the parameters of the chosen system correspond to a realistic binary mixture of water (90%) and isopropanol (10%) enabling comparison of theoretical predictions with planned experimental studies.

• Received 26 December 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.73.047302