Separation and magnetohydrodynamics

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Abstract
This paper is an investigation of MHD boundary layers in a transverse magnetic field when the magnetic Reynolds number (Rm) is small. The main purpose is to understand something about the suppression of separation by a strong magnetic field, with particular emphasis on the behaviour near a rear stagnation point. Given anO(1) inviscid flow it is shown that there is a critical value ofN, the interaction parameter, to completely suppress separation. This value is one half that proposed by Leibovich (1967), a discrepancy that is due to the non-regularity of the boundary-layer equations at a rear stagnation point, a possibility that Leibovich did not consider in his solution. Model linear equations suggest the true role of Leibovich's solution. The possibility of a viscous wake leaving the rear stagnation point is considered and it is suggested that one doesnotarise from vorticity generated in the boundary layer.

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