Steady free convection above a point heat source and a horizontal line heat source in a vertical magnetic field

Abstract

An electrically conducting fluid is contained above a horizontal plane. A uniform vertical magnetic field is applied externally and the plane is maintained at a uniform temperature except for a point or a line heat source. Density variations are ignored except where they give rise to buoyancy forces.(i) The point heat source. Non-linear effects are small sufficiently far from the source. The resulting buoyancy forces interact with the magnetic forces to maintain a radial inflow towards the heat source. This fluid then escapes vertically as a jet, its structure now depending on the additional influence of viscosity. The perturbations of the temperature distribution and the magnetic field due to the motion are obtained. Finally, the effects of these perturbations back on to the fluid velocity are considered. The most striking features of the perturbations are (a) the action of the jet as a line source of heat for the fluid in the outer regions, (b) the large (compared to other perturbations) eddy in the jet.(ii) The line heat source. The temperature distribution and magnetic field are weakly perturbed only if the thermal and electrical conductivities are sufficiently small. Similar results are obtained, as in (i) above, provided ε (a dimensionless number characterising the strength of thermal convection: see (1.32), (3.24)) is less than ¼. However, even for small ε, the effects of thermal convection cannot be ignored. Hence, superimposed on the jet is an eddy (driven by buoyancy forces) whose flux of fluid increases indefinitely with its height above the plane. When ε > ¼, the results suggest that numerous eddies will be formed.