Abstract
The stability under small disturbances is investigated of the two-dimensional laminar motion of an electrically conducting fluid under a transverse magnetic field. It is found that the dominating factor is the change in shape of the undisturbed velocity profile caused by the magnetic field, which depends only on the Hartmann numberM. Curves of wave number against Reynolds number for neutral stability are calculated for a range of values ofM; for large values ofMthe calculations are similar to those which determine the stability of ordinary boundary-layer flow. The critical Reynolds number is found to rise very rapidly with increasingM, so that a transverse magnetic field has a powerful stabilizing influence on this type of flow.
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Schedule a callMore From: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A. Mathematical and Physical Sciences
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