Surface waves created by low-frequency magnetic fields

This paper analyses the effects of a low frequency A.C. magnetic field on the free surface of a liquid metal. The action of the vertical and uniform magnetic field is twofold. First it creates forced standing surface waves which generally exhibit symmetry related to that of the container; second it triggers non-symmetric free surface instabilities superimposed on the forced regime. A previous paper considered the case of a circular cylindrical tank where axisymmetric forced standing waves caused an electric current perturbation which then excited non-axisymmetric waves at a critical A.C. field intensity. Nonlinear interaction between the symmetric and non-symmetric modes was not taken into account. The present work treats the problem from a more general standpoint. Equilibrium perturbations are developed systematically to order N2 (where N is the magnetic interaction parameter) and at this level of approximation we also need to consider nonlinear mode interactions and electromagnetic damping. The theory applies to tanks of arbitrary shape and the O(N) irrotational motion may be described by the torsion function for the particular pool cross-section. For circular and annular tanks we then derive a system of coupled Mathieu-Hill equations for the time-development of non-symmetric surface modes. Two main types of parametric resonance are predicted, namely the single or combination mode, and the particular type observed may depend on the geometry of the tank. Results of the stability analysis are confirmed by experimental work carried out in mercury pools.