The Oberbeck--Boussinesq Approximation as a Constitutive Limit

Abstract

We derive the usual Oberbeck--Boussinesq approximation as a constitutive limit of the full system describing the motion of an compressible linearly viscous fluid. To this end the starting system is written, using the Gibbs free energy, in the variables $\mathbf v, \theta$ and $p$. The Oberbeck--Boussinesq system is then obtained as the thermal expansion coefficient $\alpha$ and the isothermal compressibility coefficient $\beta$ tend to zero.