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Flow-induced morphological instability of a mushy layer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 July 1999

DANIEL L. FELTHAM
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, PO Box 88, Manchester M60 1QD, UK
M. GRAE WORSTER
Affiliation:
Institute of Theoretical Geophysics, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Silver Street, Cambridge CB3 9EW, UK

Abstract

A morphological instability of a mushy layer due to a forced flow in the melt is analysed. The instability is caused by flow induced in the mushy layer by Bernoulli suction at the crests of a sinusoidally perturbed mush–melt interface. The flow in the mushy layer advects heat away from crests which promotes solidification. Two linear stability analyses are presented: the fundamental mechanism for instability is elucidated by considering the case of uniform flow of an inviscid melt; a more complete analysis is then presented for the case of a parallel shear flow of a viscous melt. The novel instability mechanism we analyse here is contrasted with that investigated by Gilpin et al. (1980) and is found to be more potent for the case of newly forming sea ice.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1999 Cambridge University Press

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