Isothermal Magnetic Advection: Creating functional fluid flows for heat and mass transfer

Abstract

Natural convection has been of interest for over a century due to its rich nonlinear dynamics and applications to heat transfer. However, convection occurs only when both gravity and a destabilizing thermal gradient exist. We have discovered a unique class of vigorous, emergent fluid flows that have the full functionality of natural convection but can be stimulated regardless of gravity or thermal gradients, simply by subjecting a platelet suspension to certain time-dependent biaxial magnetic fields of modest strength. This enigmatic phenomenon may facilitate cooling in microgravity environments and in other circumstances where convection fails.