The distortion of a magnetic field by the flow of a conducting fluid past a circular cylinder

Abstract

The distortion of a uniform magnetic field, aligned with the flow at infinity, by the potential flow of an inviscid conductor about a circular cylinder is determined. Potential flow of the fluid occurs when the interaction parameter is small; this is the case studied here. In the flow-potential and stream-function plane the problem may be formulated as a singular integral equation. Solutions of this equation show that for small fluid conductivities the magnetic field lines are distorted in the sense of being dragged along by the motion of the fluid. This process continues as the conductivity increases, with fewer and fewer of the magnetic field lines entering the body. For large conductivity this reduced flux of field lines enters over most of the body surface and exits in the neighbourhood of the rear stagnation point; behind the body there is a jet-like structure of magnetic field lines.