Oscillating liquid metal drop under uniform magnetic field in zero gravity conditions

A theoretical and numerical study on the dynamics of a spherical droplet of liquid metal in zero-gravity conditions in the presence of a uniform magnetic field is presented. The droplet is initially deformed into an ellipsoidal shape and then released so that it oscillates until it recovers a spherical shape. The strength of the applied magnetic field is modulated to analyze the damping process of the oscillating droplet. An analytical solution is obtained describing the free surface evolution of the droplet considering magnetohydrodynamic effects in the creeping flow regime. A numerical simulation of the oscillating droplet is implemented by solving the three-dimensional problem using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics method. The analytical and numerical results agree qualitatively and quantitatively. Figs 5, Refs 10.