Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2016 / iii / Paper 318 / 1

Use the fully developed flow branch of Hartmann flow. Translation invariance along the walls makes the velocity and induced magnetic field functions of $z$ alone. Incompressible flow and zero normal velocity at the walls give $u_z^{\prime }=0$ and hence $u_z=0$. The zero divergence of the magnetic field makes $B_z$ constant, equal to the imposed $B_0$. There is no forcing in $y$; the homogeneous $y$-components obey the same coupled viscous-resistive equations as the $x$-components, with zero boundary data. Multiplying them by $u_y$ and $b_y/({\mu }_0\rho )$, integrating by parts and adding givesThus $u_y=b_y=0$, establishing the asserted forms on this fully developed flow branch. This is a symmetry reduction of the steady channel model, rather than a claim that every possible flow in a channel is translation invariant.

The current density and Lorentz force density areThe advective acceleration vanishes because $\mathbf{u}\cdot \nabla =u(z){\partial }_x$ acts on fields independent of $x$. The $x$-component of the magnetohydrodynamic momentum equation therefore givesThe $z$-component must also balance: it requires ${\partial }_z(p+b^2/(2{\mu }_0))=0$. Hence a compatible pressure is $p(x,z)=p_{\ast }-\rho Gx-b(z{)}^2/(2{\mu }_0)$; the specified streamwise pressure gradient does not require the ordinary pressure to be uniform in $z$. This accounts for the magnetic pressure of the induced field.

The resistive induction equation with constant magnetic diffusivity gives ${\partial }_t\mathbf{B}=\nabla \times (\mathbf{u}\times \mathbf{B})+\eta {\nabla }^2\mathbf{B}$. Since $\mathbf{u}\times \mathbf{B}=(0,-B_{0}u,0)$, its curl has $x$-component $B_0{u}^{\prime }$. Steadiness consequently givesFinally the no-slip boundary condition gives $u(\pm L)=0$, and the normal magnetic field boundary condition gives $b(\pm L)=0$. The coupled equations and all wall conditions follow directly from momentum balance and magnetic induction.

Integrating the resistive induction equation once introduces a constant $C$:Because $b(L)=b(-L)=0$, integrating this relation again over the channel gives $C=B_{0}Q/(2L)$, where $Q$ is the volumetric flow rate per unit span. Put $m^2=B_0^2/({\mu }_0\rho \nu \eta )$ and $H=mL$, taking $B_0\ge 0$ without loss of generality. Reversing the imposed field reverses $b$ but leaves $u$ and $Q$ unchanged. Eliminating $b^{\prime }$ from the magnetohydrodynamic momentum equation givesIts two zero wall values remove the odd homogeneous solution. Write $u=U[1-\cosh (mz)/\cosh H]$. Integrating the first relation with the two magnetic wall values yieldsTherefore $U=(G{L}^2/\nu H^2)H\coth H$. Substitution and integration produce the velocity and induced field:Here $H=B_{0}L/\sqrt{{\mu }_0\rho \nu \eta }$ is the Hartmann number. The hyperbolic cosine makes $u$ even, while the hyperbolic sine makes $b$ odd. Direct differentiation verifies both coupled equations and all four wall values.

Integrating the velocity gives the fluxThe apparent singularity at $H=0$ is removable. The small-field limit is plane Poiseuille flow:The cubic coefficient of $b$ is its first-order response in $B_0$; $b$ itself vanishes at zero imposed field. For a fixed positive $G$, the flux decreases monotonically as $H>0$ increases. One exact way to see the sketch's monotonicity is the partial-fraction expansion of the hyperbolic cotangent:whose derivative is strictly negative for $H>0$. The flux has a horizontal tangent at $H=0$ and approaches zero asThe flux is even if signed $H$ is used.

For $H\gg 1$, put $\zeta =z/L$. Away from the walls,The velocity has a nearly uniform core, with thin Hartmann layers of thickness $\delta =L/H$ enforcing the no-slip boundary condition. Near the upper wall, with $s=H(1-\zeta )$ fixed, $u/U_c\sim 1-e^{-s}$ and $b/B_s\sim -1+s/H+e^{-s}$; the lower wall follows by even/odd symmetry. Thus $b$ is negative for $0<z<L$, positive for $-L<z<0$, and returns rapidly to zero at both walls. The required sketches show a decreasing flux, a flat velocity core, and an odd induced field with magnetic wall layers.