Periodic and Chaotic Oscillations in a Low Conducting Liquid in an Alternating Electric Field

We study the oscillatory and chaotic evolution of electroconvective flows of a nonisothermal low conducting liquid in the AC electric field of a horizontal capacitor. An analysis is carried out of liquids in which the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity generates the volume charge. The periodic and chaotic regimes of liquid flow are investigated in the case of a finite relaxation time. It is found that all periodic oscillatory electroconvective regimes are synchronous with the external electric field, and can be divided into three classes with different time shift properties. Bifurcation maps and diagrams of electroconvective regimes are obtained, and the hysteretic transitions between oscillatory electroconvective regimes with different periodicity are studied. We also analyse the scenarios of transition to chaotic oscillations. Depending on the external field frequency, the transition from periodic to chaotic oscillations can occur via quasiperiodicity, a subharmonic cascade, or intermittence.