Flow induced in a cylindrical column by a uniformly rotating magnetic field

Abstract

Under laboratory conditions, the magnetic Reynolds number is quite small in a conductor, but can be made appreciable if a high frequency rotating field is applied. Moffatt investigated this problem for high magnetic Reynolds numbers and concluded that there existed a magnetic boundary layer due to spiralling of field lines. Applying Fourier transforms and solving the corrected equations, we find that at low magnetic Reynolds numbers the field lines uniformly penetrate the cylindrical column and do not exhibit any appreciable spiralling. The rotation opposes the drift due to conductivity which is evened out as one proceeds from the centre to the surface. This uniform behaviour persists for small magnetic Reynolds number inside and outside. When the magnetic Reynolds number becomes large, of the order of 100 (say), the field lines passing through the axis of the cylinder exhibit spiralling as suggested by Moffatt since the diffusion is unable to counterbalance the rotational effects.