Interfacial convection in multilayer systems. (Q639247)

[For the review of the 1st ed., see (2006; Zbl 1100.76002).] Interfacial convection is a widespread phenomenon important in many branches of technology, including chemical engineering, material processing, space technologies, microfluids, coating, numerical mathematics, and, to some extent, computer science employed to simulate fluid flow. During the last decades, an essential progress was achieved in understanding basic physical processes underlying the interfacial convection, and in the development of adequate and reliable mathematical models of those processes. The work by Nepomnyashchy, Simanovskii and Legros presents an investigative account of interfacial convection used on different spatial scales. It also describes a variety of physical mechanisms and types of instability characteristic of liquid systems with interfaces. The book consists of a preface, seven chapters, a list of references and an index. The description of these chapters is, in short, as follows: Chapter 1 ``Introduction. Models of interfacial convection'' (with seven subchapters) describes the models used for the description of interfacial convection on different scales: motivation of the problems, models of heat convection (equation of continuity, nonlinear equations of convection under the Boussinesq approximation, etc.), models of convection with phase transitions, models of ultrathin film flows, mesoscopic models and microscopic models. Chapter 2 ``Types of convective instability in systems with an interface'' (with seven subchapters) presents a brief description of the linear stability approach and discusses the selection of nonlinear patterns for stationary and wavy patterns: the problem of stability, anticonvection, stationary Marangoni patterns, Marangoni waves in systems with nondeformable interface, Marangoni waves in systems with a deformable interface and instabilities in the presence of evaporation. Chapter 3 ``Bénard problem in multilayer systems with undeformable interfaces'' (with four subchapters) describes the convection in systems with two interfaces: general equations and boundary conditions, linear stability theory, nonlinear simulations and space experiments. Chapters 4 ``Bénard problem in multilayer systems with deformable interfaces'' (with three subchapters) is devoted to the investigation of phenomena related to deformations of interfaces: formulation of the problem, linear stability analysis and nonlinear theory, Chapter 5 ``Stability of flows'' (with five subchapters) deals with the stability of convective flows in multilayer systems: mechanism of instabilities for flows generated by a surface-tension gradient applied along the surface, thermocapillary flows in two-layer systems, buoyancy-thermocapillary convection in two-layer systems, buoyancy-thermocapillary convection in three-layer systems, and deformational instabilities of thermocapillary flows in three-layer systems. Chapter 6 ``Flows in ultrathin two-layer films'' (with three subchapters) is devoted to a systematic description of recent results obtained on ultrathin two-layer films: isothermic films and films with a vertical temperature gradient, stability of convective flows. Chapter 7 ``Outlook'' (with nine subchapters) presents an outlook on the most important scientific directions and new tools of investigation: extensions of the linear stability theory, influence of lateral boundaries, three-dimensionsl convective flow, deformation of the interface, transition to chaos and interfacial turbulence, multicomponent fluids, chemical reactions, porous layers, contact line dynamics, feedback control of interfacial instabilities and biological surface-tension-driven flows. The book ends with a long list of 825 books and papers mentioned in the book, which is very important, especially for young researchers who wish to deal with interfacial convection in multilayer systems. Many of these papers belong to the authors of the present book. An index is also included at the end of the book. In the reviewer's opinion, this book provides a fundamental and comprehensive presentation of physical and mathematical principles of interfacial convection in multilayer systems, pointing out the most important practical applications. The book is well written and readable. Results of numerical solutions are given graphically and in tabular form. The book will be of interest and useful to a wide range of specialists working in fluid dynamics, heat and mass transfer and applied mathematics, such as university students, graduate students, design engineers, physicists, chemical engineers, and also researchers interested in the mathematical theory of interfacial convection in multilayer systems.