Electronic edition ISSN 1574-0579

Conducting liquid flow in a rotating magnetic field

L. A. Gorbunov , V. L. Kolevzon

Institute of Physics, Latvian University, Salaspils-1, LV-2169, Latvia

Abstract
Conducting liquid flow in a rotating magnetic field at different pole pair numbers and frequencies has been studied experimentally. Hydrodynamical processes in the conducting liquid flow in a rotating magnetic field have been found to be similar to the rotational flows of ordinary liquids in geophysics: at the bottom of the vessel, there is a thin Eckmann layer while the rotation of the cor is uniform along the height. Profile of the azimuthal velocity along the radius has an inflection point which leads to 2D instability of Kelvin-Helmholtz. We employed the Reynolds number calculated by using outer friction as a criterion of instability. Ar approximate analytical model allowing to lind the order of magnitude of the core azimuthal velocity has been proposed. There was good agreement between calculation and experiment. Figs 6, refs 10.