Hydromagnetic stability of a thin electrically conducting fluid film flowing down the outside surface of a long vertically aligned column

Abstract

This article considers the stability of a thin electrically conducting fluid film flowing down the outer surface of a long vertical cylinder in the presence of an applied magnetic field. Using the long-wave perturbation method to solve the generalized non-linear kinematic equations with free film interface, the normal mode approach is first used to compute the linear stability solution. The method of multiple scales is then used to obtain the weak non-linear dynamics. The results indicate that both subcritical instability and supercritical stability conditions are possible. The degree of instability in the film flow is intensified by the lateral curvature of the cylinder. The results also show that increasing the strength of the magnetic field tends to enhance the stability.