Bénard-Marangoni Convection in Two-Layered Liquids

We describe experiments on Bénard-Marangoni convection in horizontal layers of two immiscible liquids. Unlike previous experiments, which used gases as the upper fluid, we find a square planform close to onset which undergoes a secondary bifurcation to rolls at higher temperature differences. The scale of the convection pattern is that of the thinner lower fluid layer for which buoyancy and surface tension forces are comparable. The wave number of the pattern near onset agrees with the linear stability prediction for the full two-layer problem. The square planform is in qualitative agreement with recent two-layer weakly nonlinear theories, which fail however to predict the transition to rolls.