THE STABILITY OF NONAXISYMMETRIC CIRCULAR COUETTE-FLOW WITH A RADIAL TEMPERATURE-GRADIENT

A numerical solution of linear differential equations governing the st ability of the nonaxisymmetric wide-gap circular Couette flow was pres ent in this study. The numerical solution took into account the presen ce of a radial temperature gradient between the two rotating cylinders . Boussinesq approximation was applied in the analysis so as to examin e the interaction of radial temperature difference with the centrifuga l potential but neglect the gravity effect. The critical Taylor number and corresponding critical axial and azimuthal wave numbers were show n graphically for various values of radius ratio, ratio of angular vel ocities of the inner and outer cylinders, and temperature gradient par ameter N for Prandtl number 0.7. Not only the critical Taylor number b ut the oscillatory onset mode of nonaxisymmetric disturbances could be altered by the effects of a temperature gradient, as indicated by the calculated results.