Radiation effect on MHD free-convective flow of a gas past a semi-infinite vertical plate with variable thermophysical properties for high-temperature differences

Abstract

Radiation effects in the presence of a uniform transverse magnetic field on the free-convective steady laminar boundary-layer flow, past a semi-infinite vertical plate, for high-temperature differences are studied. The fluid density and the thermal conductivity are assumed to vary linearly with temperature. The fluid viscosity is assumed to vary as a reciprocal of a linear function of temperature. The nonlinear boundary-layer equations, governing the problem under consideration, are solved numerically by applying an efficient numerical technique based on the shooting method. The effects of the magnetic field M, the temperature ratio parameter θw, the thermal conductivity parameter S, the viscosity–temperature parameter θr, and the radiation parameter N are examined on the velocity and temperature distributions as well as the coefficient of heat flux and the shearing stress at the plate. PACS No.: 44.40+a