The evolution of the boundary layer in turbulent Rayleigh-Benard convection in air

We report measurements of the near-wall flow field in turbulent Rayleigh-Benard convection in air (Pr = 0.7) using particle image velocimetry. The measurements were performed in a thin, rectangular sample at fixed Rayleigh number Ra = 1.45 x 10(10). In particular, we focus on the evolution of the boundary layer that a single convection roll generates along its path at the lower horizontal plate. We identify three specific flow regions along this path: (i) a region of wall-normal impingement of the down flow close to one corner of the sample, (ii) a region where a shear layer with almost constant thickness evolves, and (iii) a region in which this boundary layer grows and eventually detaches from the plate surface at the opposite corner of the sample. Our measurements with a spatial resolution better than 1/500 of the total thickness of the boundary layer show that the typical velocity field as well as its statistics qualitatively varies between the three flow regions. In particular, it could be verified that the shear layer region covering about 75% of the total area of the plate is in transition to turbulence at the Rayleigh number as low as investigated in the present work. Published by AIP Publishing.