Experimental investigation of surface instability of a thin layer of a magnetic fluid

In the present work the instability of a flat horizontal thin layer of a magnetic fluid (the depth of no more than 50 \mum) under the action of a uniform magnetic field is studied experimentally. It was revealed that the development of instability under the action of tilted magnetic field can lead to the formation of parallel ridges on a fluid surface; the ridges undergo a transformation into hexagonal system of conical peaks with the magnetic field increasing. The necessary conditions for the formation of these surface patterns are studied. It was found that the development of instability of quite thin layers may result in layers breakup. The dependencies of instability wave number on the system physical parameters are obtained. The time for the development of instability is measured. The experimental results are compared with the existing theory and discussed.