Traveling-wave convection in a binary fluid mixture in an annulus.

We report experimental observations of traveling-wave convection in a binary fluid mixture in an annular container, a flow which approximates a large, one-dimensional dynamical system. In this geometry, the convective rolls align themselves radially and propagate azimuthally. We observe competition between several non-equilibrium states. This leads to a rich variety of dynamical behavior, including coexisting regions of conduction and convection, sources and sinks of convective rolls, and more complex spatio-temporal defects.