Elementary model of internal electromagnetic pinch-type instability

DOI10.1017/JFM.2017.116MaRDI QIDQ5364614zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Jānis Priede

Publication date 28 September 2017

Published in Journal of Fluid Mechanics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1503.07887

zbMATH Keywords

instabilityMHD and electrohydrodynamics

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Stability and instability of magnetohydrodynamic and electrohydrodynamic flows (76E25) Magnetohydrodynamics and electrohydrodynamics (76W05)

Abstract: We analyse numerically a pinch-type instability in a semi-infinite planar layer of inviscid conducting liquid bounded by solid walls and carrying a uniform electric current. Our model is as simple as possible but still captures the salient features of the instability which otherwise may be obscured by the technical details of more comprehensive numerical models and laboratory experiments. Firstly, we show the instability in liquid metals, which are relatively poor conductors, differs significantly from the astrophysically-relevant Tayler instability. In liquid metals, the instability develops on the magnetic response time scale, which depends on the conductivity and is much longer than the Alfv'en time scale, on which the Tayler instability develops in well conducting fluids. Secondly, we show that this instability is an edge effect caused by the curvature of the magnetic field, and its growth rate is determined by the linear current density and independent of the system size. Our results suggest that this instability may affect future liquid metal batteries when their size reaches a few meters.

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Cites work

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Cited in

(4)

• Fractality of metal pad instability threshold in rectangular cells
• The H-trough: a model for liquid metal electric current limiters
• Voltage-driven instability of electrically conducting fluids
• Stability theory for metal pad roll in cylindrical liquid metal batteries

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