Elongational flow effects on the vortex growth out of Couette flow in ferrofluids.

The growth behavior of stationary axisymmetric vortices and of oscillatory, nonaxisymmetric spiral vortices in Taylor-Couette flow of a ferrofluid in between differentially rotating cylinders is analyzed using a numerical linear stability analysis. The investigation is done as a function of the inner and outer cylinder's rotation rates, the axial wave number of the vortex flows, and the magnitude of an applied homogeneous axial magnetic field. In particular, the consequences of incorporating elongational flow effects in the magnetization balance equation on the marginal control parameters that separate growth from decay behavior are determined.

Influence of homogeneous magnetic fields on the flow of a ferrofluid in the Taylor-Couette system.

We investigate numerically the influence of a homogeneous magnetic field on a ferrofluid in the gap between two concentric, independently rotating cylinders. The full Navier-Stokes equations are solved with a combination of a finite difference method and a Galerkin method. Structure, dynamics, symmetry properties, bifurcation, and stability behavior of different vortex structures are investigated for axial and transversal magnetic fields, as well as combinations of them.

Stability of the circular Couette flow of a ferrofluid in an axial magnetic field: influence of polydispersity.

The gap between two concentric rotating cylinders is filled with a ferrofluid. A homogeneous magnetic field is applied parallel to the cylinder axis. The stability of the circular Couette flow is analyzed with different models that take into account the polydispersity of the ferrofluid to a varying degree.

Measuring the transverse magnetization of rotating ferrofluids.

We report on measurements of the transverse magnetization of a ferrofluid rotating as a rigid body in a constant magnetic field, H0, applied perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The rotation of the fluid leads to a nonequilibrium situation, where the ferrofluid magnetization M and the magnetic field within the sample, H, are no longer parallel to each other. The off-axis magnetization perpendicular to H0 is measured as a function of both the applied magnetic field H0 and the angular frequency Omega.