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Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Magnetically Induced Rotating Rayleigh-Taylor Instability
Published on: March 3, 2017
Growth of surface undulations at the Rosensweig instability
Holger Knieling1, Reinhard Richter, Ingo Rehberg
1Experimentalphysik V, Universität Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
Abstract:
We investigate the growth of a pattern of liquid crests emerging in a layer of magnetic liquid when subjected to a magnetic field oriented normally to the fluid surface. After a steplike increase of the magnetic field, the temporal evolution of the pattern amplitude is measured by means of a Hall-sensor array. The extracted growth rate is compared with predictions from linear stability analysis by taking into account the proper nonlinear magnetization curve M(H) . The remaining discrepancy can be resolved by numerical calculations via the finite-element method. By starting with a finite surface perturbation, it can reproduce the temporal evolution of the pattern amplitude and the growth rate. The investigations are performed for two magnetic liquids, one with low and one with high viscosity.
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