On the Distortion of a Weak Magnetic Field by the Flow of Conducting Fluid past a Cylindrical Obstacle

Abstract

The present paper concerns the study on the distortion of a uniform magnetic field, which is parallel to the flow at infinity, caused by the flow of an incompressible inviscid fluid with large electric conductivity past a cylindrical obstacle. The magnetic field is assumed to be so weak that its influence upon the flow may be neglected. The analysis has revealed the following features: The magnetic field outside the cylinder is aligned with the flow owing to high conductivity of the fluid except in a thin layer along the surface of the cylinder and in a wake behind it. The field inside the cylinder (supposed to be non-conducting) is almost zero, except in the vicinity of the rear stagnation point where the lines of force converge and form a singularity (sink inside and source outside the cylinder) for infinite conductivity of the fluid.