Effect of horizontal magnetic field on Küppers-Lortz instability

Abstract

We investigate the effect of an external horizontal magnetic field on the Küppers-Lortz instability (KLI) in rotating Rayleigh-Bénard convection of Boussinesq fluids using weakly nonlinear theory along with linear theory. By KLI, we mean the instability where the two-dimensional roll solutions of the system occurring at the onset of convection becomes unstable against the perturbations by rolls oriented at different angle with the previous one as the rotation rate exceeds a critical value. The governing parameters, namely, the Prandtl number ($\mathrm{Pr}$), Taylor number ($\mathrm{Ta}$) and Chandrasekhar number ($\mathrm{Q}$) are varied in the ranges $0.8\le \mathrm{Pr}<\infty$, $0<\mathrm{Ta}\le 10^4$ and $0\le \mathrm{Q}\le 10^4$ respectively by considering the vanishingly small magnetic Prandtl number limit. In the $\mathrm{Pr}\to \infty$ limit, magnetic field is found to inhibit the KLI by enhancing the critical Taylor number (${\mathrm{Ta}}_c$) for its onset. On the other hand, for finite Prandtl number fluids, KLI is favored for lower $\mathrm{Q}$, and it is inhibited for higher $\mathrm{Q}$. Interestingly, in the finite Prandtl number range both KLI and small angle instability are manifested depending on the Prandtl number. No small angle instability is observed for $\mathrm{Pr}\ge 50$ and the rotation induced KLI is inhibited predominantly by the magnetic field. While, for $\mathrm{Pr}<50$, along with the Küppers-Lortz instability, small angle instability is also observed. However, in this case, KLI is favored for lower $\mathrm{Q}$, while it is inhibited for higher $\mathrm{Q}$.

13 pages, 13 figures

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