On the onset of instability by oscillatory modes in hydromagnetic Couette flow

Abstract

The transition of the onset of instability from stationary modes to oscillatory modes for an incompressible, conducting Couette flow between two coaxial, perfectly conducting, non-permeable, rotating cylinders under the influence of an axially applied magnetic field is considered. Results for three cases are reported. These pertain to flow between (1) a rotating inner wall with a stationary outer wall, (2) counterrotating walls, and (3) corotating walls. It is found that, for high values of the Hartmann number, there may exist some range of convective wavenumbers for which neither of the two lowest modes of axisymmetrical disturbances will become stationary. Within this range, the neutral stability curve is determined by a complex-conjugate pair of oscillatory axisymmetrical modes of equal stability. The oscillatory modes may, in fact, become more critical than the stationary modes. It is demonstrated that the approximation of replacing the angular speed by its average value, combined with the assumption of a narrow gap between the cylindrical walls, eliminates the oscillatory axisymmetrical modes.