Experiments on the oscillatory convection of low Prandtl number liquid in Czochralski configuration for crystal growth with cusp magnetic field

Abstract

This paper presents results of experiments on the oscillatory convection of mercury in a Czochralski configuration with cusp magnetic field. Temperature fluctuation measurements are carried out to determine the critical Rayleigh number for the onset of time dependent natural convection. The effects of a cusp magnetic field on the supercritical natural convection coupled with rotation of crystal disk are investigated. In the presence of a rotating flow it is found that a cusp magnetic field can induce a new long wave instability and can amplify the temperature fluctuation depending on the magnitude of the relevant flow similarity parameters and the melt aspect ratios. A flow regime diagram for the amplification and damping of the temperature fluctuations is presented to provide an experimental data base for finding optimum growth conditions in the cusp magnetic field Czochralski process.