Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
An isothermal layer suspended from a surface is gravitationally (Rayleigh-Taylor) unstable. We find that, when a vertical temperature difference DeltaT above a critical value (DeltaT)(c) is imposed across the liquid-gas layer system (heated from below), the restoring force provided by the temperature-dependent surface tension (thermocapillarity) can stabilize the layer. Our measurements of the most unstable wave number for DeltaT<(DeltaT)(c) agree well with our linear stability analysis. The instability occurs at long wavelengths: the most unstable wavelength at (DeltaT)(c) is infinite.
Burgess et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: