Chaotic thermal convection of couple-stress fluid layer

In this work we study the pattern of bifurcations and intermittent-chaos of non-Newtonian couple-stress shallow fluid layer subject to heating from below. The couple-stress parameter delays onset of convection, synchronizes chaotic behavior, and decreases the heat transfer . Some global aspects of the dynamics such as homoclinic bifurcations and transition to chaos are explored. The effects of particle size on the intermittent-chaos regime at particular normalized Rayleigh number, say , are investigated. With the increase in couple-stress parameter, the present Lorenz-like system synchronizes to a steady state via a series of periodic solutions interspersed with intervals of chaotic behaviors.