Solidification and fluid convection - the story of an inseparable couple

In numerous processes in nature and technology, convection is caused by density differences resulting from temperature and concentration gradients. If the rates of diffusion of the two variables differ, this is called double-diffusive convection. Solidification processes under the influence of gravitational forces almost always occur in combination with convective flows. In nature, double-diffusive convection is responsible for magma flow in the mantle of planets or occurs during freezing of seawater. Thermo-solutal convection in industrial castings may result in a composition variation over distances comparable to the size of the solidification domain due to transport of rejected solute by fluid flow, the phenomenon being known as macrosegregation. This paper is dedicated to the interplay between solidification and convection, which are usually closely coupled, interacting in many different ways and thus can lead to very complex phenomena. Results from various experiments conducted both in metals and transparent analogues are presented and discussed.