RAYLEIGH-BENARD CONVECTION IN STRONG VERTICAL MAGNETIC FIELD: FLOW STRUCTURE AND VERIFICATION OF NUMERICAL METHOD

Direct numerical simulations are performed to study turbulent Rayleigh-Benard convection in a vertical cylindrical cavity exposed to a uniform axial magnetic field. Flows at high Hartmann and Rayleigh numbers are considered. The calculations reveal that, similarly to the behavior observed in Rayleigh-Benard convection with strong rotation, flows under a strong magnetic field develop a central vortex, whereas the heat transfer is suppressed.