Using magnetic fluids to model convection of planetary or stellar interiors in laboratory scale

Baroclininc flow induced via thermomagnetic convection is investigated as a potential model of convection of planetary interiors at a laboratory scale. To reproduce a central force field, a permanent magnet is used that acts on a magnetic fluid contained in a spherical shell. In addition to maintaining the inner sphere and outer shell at different temperatures, the system is rotating around its central axis. Results suggest that magnetic fluids reproduce the essential qualitative character of the baroclinic flows and may be a useful tool to investigate convective flow in planetary interiors. To quantify the effect of magnetic forcing, a parameter ΘM was developed which represents the equivalent to the thermal Rossby number.