Hysteresis and multiple stable configurations in a magnetic fluid system.

A magnetic liquid in a horizontal Hele-Shaw cell is subjected to a vertical magnetic field. The width of the magnetic fluid finger is measured as a function of applied field and compared to a theoretical model. The theoretical model uses an energy minimization procedure and predicts a double energy minimum, hysteresis, and discontinuous transitions between a circle and a finger. The experimental data set agrees very well with the theory for a well-defined magnetic fluid finger. Near the transitions, the experiments show hysteresis and support for a double energy minimum; however, the agreement is not quite so good. The discrepancy between theory and experiment near the transition region is likely due to the simplified finger model used in the theory.