Thermomagnetic convection of magnetic fluids in a cylindrical geometry

Abstract

The thermomagnetic convection of magnetic fluids in a cylindrical geometry subjected to a homogeneous magnetic field is studied. The study is motivated by a novel thermal instability [W. Luo et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 4134 (1999)]. As model system a composite cylinder with inner heating is considered which reflects the symmetry of the experimentally setup. The general condition for the existence of a potentially unstable stratification in the magnetic fluid is derived. Within a linear stability analysis the critical external induction for the onset of thermomagnetic convection is determined for dilute and nondilute magnetic fluids. The difference between both thresholds allows to test experimentally whether a test sample is a dilute fluid or not.