Lyapunov exponents for small aspect ratio Rayleigh-Benard convection

Positive Lyapunov exponents and their corresponding eigenvectors have been computed numerically for small aspect ratio, 3-D rotating Rayleigh-Benard convection cells with no-slip boundary conditions. The parameters are the same as those used by Ahlers and Behringer (PRL 40, 1978) in their seminal work on aperiodic time dependence in Rayleigh-Benard convection cells. Our work confirms that the dynamics in these cells truly is chaotic as defined by a positive Lyapunov exponent. The time evolution of the Lyapunov eigenvector in the chaotic regime will also be discussed.