Stability of finite-amplitude and overstable convection of a conducting fluid through fixed porous bed

Abstract

The stability of infinitestimal steady and oscillatory motions and finite amplitude steady motions of a conducting fluid through porous media with free boundaries which is heated from below and cooled from above is investigated in the presence of a uniform magnetic field. Infinitesimal steady motions are investigated using Liapunov method and its is shown that the principle of exchange of stability is valid only when P_m/P_r≤ 1 with a restricted value of the Hartmann number. It is shown that overstable motions are due to the zonal current induced by the magnetic field. Finite amplitude steady motions are investigated using Veronis [1] analysis and it is shown that for a restricted range of Hartmann numbers and porous parameter P_l, steady finite-amplitude motions can exist for values of the Rayleigh number smaller than that value corresponding to oscillatory motions. Since the Busse number is greater than the wave number the horizontal scale of the steady finite-amplitude motions is larger than that of the overstable motions.