Experimental study of convection in the compressible regime

Compressible thermal convection is experimentally studied. In the large apparent gravity of a rotor centrifuge, using xenon gas, an adiabatic temperature difference of 14 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C over a height equal to 4 cm is obtained. Large Coriolis forces impose a quasigeostrophic regime.