A new oscillatory instability in a mushy layer during the solidification of binary alloys

Abstract

We consider the solidification of a binary alloy in a mushy layer and analyse the linear stability of a quiescent state with specific interest in identifying an oscillatory convective instability. We employ a near-eutectic approximation and consider the limit of large far-field temperature. These asymptotic limits allow us to examine the dynamics of the mushy layer in the form of small deviations from the classical case of convection in a horizontal porous layer of uniform permeability. We consider also the limit of large Stefan number, which incorporates a key balance necessary for the existence of the oscillatory instability. The model we consider here contains no double-diffusive effects and no region in which a statically stable density gradient exists. The mechanism underlying the oscillatory instability we discover is instead associated with a complex interaction between heat transfer, convection and solidification.