Convection and stability in a magnetic fluid saturated rotating porous layer

The influence of magnetic field on the onset of centrifugal convection in a magnetic fluid filled differentially heated porous layer is studied theoretically using linear stability analysis. The resulting eigenvalue problem is solved using the Galerkin technique. The critical centrifugal Rayleigh number, the critical wavenumber and the eigenfunctions corresponding to two-dimensional flow pattern at the threshold are calculated. It is found that the magnetic field has a destabilizing effect and can be suitably adjusted depending on particle magnetization to enhance convection. This phenomenon can be utilized to increase the efficiency of heat transfer devices.