THERMOCAPILLARY INSTABILITY IN A HORIZONTAL LIQUID LAYER SUBJECTED TO A TRANSVERSE MAGNETIC-FIELD AND IRRADIATION

With the presence of a transverse magnetic field and external incident radiation, thermocapillary instability in a horizontal liquid layer is investigated using linear stability theory. Assuming that the neutral state is stationary, the critical conditions leading to the onset of convective motion are determined numerically. This article examines the effects of the magnetic field, non-uniform volumetric energy source and radiative surface properties on convective instability. The dependence of the stability characteristics on the optical thickness, surface reflectivity, the magnetic field intensity, and the external radiative sources is analyzed in detail.