Thermomagnetic convection in a differentially heated rotating annulus with central force field

Thermal convection is induced in a rotating differentially heated annulus by using a central magnetic force field. The principle of the system is used to simulate large scale convection such as that found in planetary interiors or atmospheres but in a laboratory scaled model to investigated geophysical flow fields. Results suggest that magnetic fluids can be used to study such phenomena in a microgravity environment. To quantify the thermal forcing, rotational forcing and stratification several non-dimensional parameters are introduced to characterise the evolving thermal structures.