Vertical motion of a sphere in an electrically conducting,stratified, diffusive medium

Summary The vertical (upwards) flow of an incompressible, Newtonian, viscous, stratified, diffusive, electrically conducting fluid embedded with a uniform magnetic field that is applied in the vertical direction, past a non-conducting sphere is considered. Quasisteady approximation is made allowing for a time dependent buoyancy force. Method of matched asymptotic expansions is employed to obtain the drag exerted on the sphere, for small values of a stratification parameter such that 1,R_e^1/3, ^–1/3,P_e^2/3 andR_m=O(^2/3). The drag is computed for certain typical values of the magnetic interaction parameter and diffusivity parameter. The results reveal the fact that while the stratification and magnetic field have the enhancing effect over the drag, the effect of diffusivity is to decrease it.With 3 Figures