Convective and absolute Eckhaus instability leading to modulated waves in a finite box

Abstract

We report experimental study of the secondary modulational instability of a one-dimensional non-linear traveling wave in a long bounded channel. Two qualitatively different instability regimes involving fronts of spatio-temporal defects are linked to the convective and absolute nature of the instability. Both transitions appear to be subcritical. The spatio-temporal defects control the global mode structure.

5 pages, 7 figures (ReVTeX 4 and amsmath.sty), final version

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