Synchronized motion of the water surfaces around two fixed camphor disks

The synchronized motion of the water surfaces in contact with two fixed camphor disks was investigated. When the distance between the two camphor disks was greater than 8 mm, the shapes of the water surfaces at the bottoms of the disks oscillated independently. In contrast, synchronized oscillation was observed when the distance was shorter than 7 mm. Depending on the distance, the nature of the Marangoni convection and the difference in the shape of the meniscus changed. The convection was numerically simulated based on the Navier-Stokes equation. The mechanism of synchronization is discussed in relation to the rolling structure of the Marangoni convection. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.