Boussinesq up-down symmetry
ID: boussinesq-up-down-symmetry
With mechanically and thermally equivalent upper and lower boundaries, the Boussinesq approximation permits reflection through the layer midplane together with reversal of the temperature perturbation and vertical velocity. In a reduced convection temperature equation this induces temperature inversion. A quadratic term which changes differently from the linear terms breaks this symmetry; a cubic term can preserve it. The Boussinesq approximation alone does not impose symmetry on unequal boundary conditions.
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