Java Lorentz Equations Applet

This applet demonstrates the numerical solution of the Lorentz equations.

The Lorentz Equations form a system of 3 coupled, non-linear differential equations corresponding to diffusionless convection. In this application the variables x, y and z represent convective flow, horizontal temperature and vertical temperature respectively. The constant terms A, B and C represent the Prandtl number, the Rayleigh number and the ratio of the vertical to horizontal size respectively.

The solution is found numerically using a 4th order Runge-Kutta method. The colouring is derived from the iteration counter. You can click and drag with the mouse to interact with the 3D view of the solution:

• left click and drag to rotate the view
• right click and drag to translate the view
• middle click and drag up / down to zoom the view

To view this applet, you will need a recent (1.5 or later) version of Java. Webstart will allow you download the latest version if necessary. Click on the screen shot of the applet to start.