Abstract
The linear stability of a differentially heated cylindrical annulus, of finite length, containing a dissipationless fluid and rotating uniformly in a nonuniform toroidal magnetic field is studied. The analysis is restricted to the situation where the instabilities are driven by buoyancy. If the end-surfaces are flat, the unstable waves propagate against the basic flow, i.e. westward. When the effect of slight distortions in the end-surfaces on the propagation speeds of these waves are investigated, it is found that these distortions can decrease or increase the propagation speeds depending on a variety of conditions. The application of these results to Hide's (1969) theory on the effects of bumps on the core-mantle interface of the Earth indicates that these topographical features may lead to irregular fluctuations in the westward drift.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 75-88 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 1977 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Computational Mechanics
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Geophysics
- Mechanics of Materials
- Geochemistry and Petrology