Étude de la déformation d'un liquide magnétique (Study of the deformation of a magnetic liquid) (Q1065686)

This paper is concerned with the deformation of ferromagnetic liquids consisting of colloidal suspensions of magnetic particles treated as a continuum. These liquids are assumed to possess a free boundary and are subjected to the effect of a magnetic field. The authors consider a more general domain (occupied by the liquid) than has hitherto been treated and apply the method of virtual work to obtain the equilibria. It is first shown that solutions of the equations which govern the determination of the induced magnetic field in the ferromagnetic liquid and the assumed surrounding non-magnetic fluid exist and are unique. Next the form of the total energy of the system is calculated, taking account of the contributions due to gravity, the magnetic field and surface tension, and the derivative of this energy with respect to the domain is calculated. From this and an application of the virtual work method can be deduced the equilibrium shape of the interface. A numerical algorithm for its solution is presented. Finally the theory is applied to the case of a ferromagnetic liquid drop subjected to a constant applied magnetic field. By using a technique involving the perturbation of the domain a necessary condition of equilibrium is given and it is deduced that a drop cannot levitate in a uniform field.