This paper shows that optimal control techniques can be used to avoid some pattern formation in a Rayleigh-Bénard problem with horizontal temperature gradient. Appropriate thermal boundary conditions determined by these techniques lead to new strong controlled basic states with reduced pattern and for which the thermoconvective instability is avoided.

• Received 23 January 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.75.067203