The two-dimensional hydrodynamics is of major interest for understanding of atmospheric phenomena as various as formation structures such as hurricanes. Thermal convection is probably essential. Soap films represent an ideal tool in the study of the two-dimensional turbulence. The subject of this thesis is the study of thermal convection in a half-bubble. The thermal gradient between the equator and the pole generates turbulence around the equator and gives rise to single large vortex near the pole. these vortices move randomly on the surface of the half-bubble. At first i was interested in characterize the movement of these structures. The study of the mean square displacement of the center of the vortex shows a law scale which shows a super-diffusive behavior. By analogy we compared our vortices with large scales structures such as hurricanes, and we demonstrated a similar dynamic between our whirlpools and hurricanes, namely a super-diffusive behavior. A study of turbulence generated by thermal convection also been performed. More specifically, we studied the thickness fluctuations but also the velocity field and temperature. In the case of the thickness, the results are consistent with the theory of the stratified turbulence. Meanwhile, the temperature has an amazing transition from a intermittent behavior for low temperature gradients, to a non intermittent behavior when the temperature gradient increases. This dynamic is correlated with the velocity field that shows this same transition.
Two-dimensional turbulence and thermal convection: model system to study events in atmospheric turbulence