On the hydromagnetic stability of an unsteady Kelvin-Helmholtz flow

Abstract

An analysis is made of the stability of an unsteady basic flow of a conducting fluid in the presence of a parallel magnetic field. The particular profile investigated is the classical Kelvin–Helmholtz profile modified by the addition of an oscillatory component. Two cases are considered in detail: that of a perfectly conducting fluid and that of a poorly conducting fluid. The investigation leads, in both cases, to an equation of the Hill type. It is concluded that the magnetic field has a stabilizing influence but is nevertheless unable to suppress the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability in an unsteady (basic) flow.