Eruption of Magnetic Fluids

Ching-Yao Chen
Jia-Fen Liu
National Chiao Tung University
Taiwan

Eruption of a magnetic drop immersed within a layer of oils and subjected to perpendicular magnetic field.

When a ferrofluid is subjected to a sufficiently strong vertical magnetic field, visually striking peaks are formed on its free surface, known as the Rosensweig instability. The images show an interesting pattern-forming instability occurring when a ferrofluid droplet is immersed in a thin layer of a nonmagnetic fluid [1]. Evolution of the Rosensweig instability in the formation of a newly discovered fluid annulus is first observed to exceed the interface as shown at t=0.06 s. As the instability proceeds, a central peak is formed at the middle of the annulus at t=0.1 s and 0.2 s. The instability develops continuously and results in a dominant peak in a state of equilibrium at t=3 s and 8 s. 

This work is funded by the National Science Council of Taiwan (Republic of China).

References

[1] Chen, Ching-Yao, Liu, J.-F. and Wang, L.-C., to appear in Magnetohydrodynamics, 2010.  

Reporters and Editors

Reporters may freely use this image. Credit: Chen and Liu, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan (2010).