Measurements of drag in a conducting fluid with an aligned field and large interaction parameter

Abstract

The drag of spheres and disks has been measured in a flow of liquid sodium within an aligned magnetic field. A slightly viscous, strong field limit is discussed and explored experimentally. In this limit the drag coefficient was found to have an asymptotic dependence proportional to the square root of the interaction parameter, the ratio of magnetic to inertial force, independent of body shape. A physical model is presented along with preliminary verification of its basic characteristics.