Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2006 / iii / Paper 74 / 3 / ii / Solution

Put $a_h^2=k^2+m^2>0$ and $\Lambda =a_h^2+{\pi }^2$. The plane-layer poloidal-toroidal decomposition supplies the assumed poloidal fields asSince $w=-{\Delta }_h\varphi$ and $b_z=-{\Delta }_h\chi$, potentials proportional to $e^{st+ikx+imy}\sin \pi z$ have the required vertical components. Their horizontal components are proportional to $\cos \pi z$, satisfying the stress-free boundary conditions and the horizontal-field boundary conditions. The double-curl representation automatically enforces incompressibility and the solenoidal magnetic-field constraint.

Let $W,\Theta ,C$ be the amplitudes of $w,\theta ,b_z$. The temperature and resistive induction equations immediately giveEliminate the total-pressure perturbation by applying $\Delta$ to the vertical momentum equation and subtracting ${\partial }_z$ times its divergence. The resulting vertical equation isIn particular, $imC=-m^{2}W/(s+\zeta \Lambda )$ shows explicitly that magnetic tension opposes the displacement.

Taking the determinant of these three amplitude equations gives the horizontal-field magnetoconvection dispersion relation:This cubic polynomial includes all roots of the assumed poloidal coupled system; using its determinant form avoids discarding possible roots by dividing by $s+\Lambda$ or $s+\zeta \Lambda$. As a check, $Q{m}^2=0$ factors off magnetic diffusion and leaves the standard stress-free Rayleigh-Bénard convection growth equation.