Author(s)

Y. Fautrelle

Abstract

Motion of a liquid metal drop under the influence of an AC magnetic field Y. Fautrelle EPM/CNRS/INP GrenobEe, France Abstract We deal with the motion of a liquid metal free surface in the presence of a low frequency magnetic field. The experimental device using liquid gallium is described. The experiments involve a liquid metal layer set on a substrate and located in a solenoidal coil supplied with low frequency alternating electric currents. The resulting Lorentz body forces are mainly oscillatory and are responsible for liquid motions. Various free surface patterns, both regular and irregular, are observed. Axisymmetric waves are directly forced by the electromagnetic forces, whilst azimuthal waves appear due to a parametric-type instability. For high magnetic field strengths, the free surface pattern becomes highly unstructured. Digitation phenomena as well as emulsions are observed. 1 Introduction When a liquid metal pool is submitted to an A.C. magnetic field, electrical currents are ind

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