The Traveling-Wave MRI in Cylindrical Taylor-Couette Flow: Comparing Wavelengths and Speeds in Theory and Experiment

We study experimentally the flow of a liquid metal confined between differentially rotating cylinders, in the presence of externally imposed axial and azimuthal magnetic fields. For increasingly large azimuthal fields a wavelike disturbance arises, traveling along the axis of the cylinders. The wave...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Astrophysical journal 2006-10, Vol.649 (2), p.L145-L147
Main Authors: Rüdiger, Günther, Hollerbach, Rainer, Stefani, Frank, Gundrum, Thomas, Gerbeth, Gunter, Rosner, Robert
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomy
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
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Summary:We study experimentally the flow of a liquid metal confined between differentially rotating cylinders, in the presence of externally imposed axial and azimuthal magnetic fields. For increasingly large azimuthal fields a wavelike disturbance arises, traveling along the axis of the cylinders. The wavelengths and speeds of these structures, as well as the field strengths and rotation rates at which they arise, are broadly consistent with theoretical predictions of such a traveling-wave magnetorotational instability.
ISSN:1538-4357
0004-637X
1538-4357
DOI:10.1086/508422