a coupled flame study
Candlewick
Atlas
Nine wicks share heat through a narrow gallery. Feed one, open the air, and watch a local choice become a field of neighbours.
the gallery
The flame is a toy model, but its consequences are live: fuel burns, heat travels, and air cools every wick.
Select a wick to inspect it.
change the conditions
Airflow changes every wick. Feeding changes one starting condition.
what is happening?
Each tick burns fuel in any warm wick, shares a fraction of its heat with its two neighbours, and loses heat to the chosen air. A flame catches when local temperature clears its threshold. The interesting event is not the brightest wick; it is the front that survives after the first choice.
Try feeding wick 1 in “single ember,” then compare the same run with high airflow. The field's memory is the visible temperature history, not a score.