Instability of a Current-Carrying Fluid Jet Issuing from a Nozzle

Abstract

The velocity across a jet becomes nonuniform due to contraction or expansion of fluid in the presence of electric current within the nozzle from which it issues. The results obtained elsewhere on the instability of a jet of uniform velocity due to electric current and surface tension are corrected. It is further shown that velocity nonuniformity reduces this instability. The available data on the instability of a mercury jet issuing from a contraction are for small current density and, hence, low velocity nonuniformity. However, for reasons yet unknown, the data do not agree with the (corrected) theory for the case of uniform velocity