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Utah State University

All Physics Faculty Publications

1998

Convection

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Physics

Magnetic Control Of Convection In Nonconducting Diamagnetic Fluids, J. Huang, D. D. Gray, Boyd F. Edwards Oct 1998

Magnetic Control Of Convection In Nonconducting Diamagnetic Fluids, J. Huang, D. D. Gray, Boyd F. Edwards

All Physics Faculty Publications

Inhomogeneous magnetic fields exert a body force on electrically nonconducting, diamagnetic fluids. This force can be used to compensate for gravity and to control convection. The field effect on convection is represented by a dimensionless vector parameter Rm=(μ0αχ0d3ΔT/ρ0νDT)(H⋅∇H)r=0ext, which measures the relative strength of the induced magnetic buoyancy force due to the applied field gradient. The vertical component of this parameter competes with the gravitational buoyancy effect and a critical relationship between this component and the Rayleigh number is identified for the onset of convection. …


Magnetic Control Of Convection In Nonconducting Paramagnetic Fluids, J. Huang, Boyd F. Edwards, D. D. Gray Jan 1998

Magnetic Control Of Convection In Nonconducting Paramagnetic Fluids, J. Huang, Boyd F. Edwards, D. D. Gray

All Physics Faculty Publications

An inhomogeneous magnetic field exerts a magnetic body force on magnetically permeable fluids. A recent experiment [D. Braithwaite, E. Beaugnon, and R. Tournier, Nature (London) 354, 134 (1991)] demonstrates that this force can be used to compensate for gravity and to control convection in a paramagnetic solution of gadolinium nitrate. We provide the theory of magnetically controlled convection in a horizontal paramagnetic fluid layer heated from either above or below. Our theoretical predictions agree with the experiments.