Magnetically induced spreading and pattern selection in thin ferrofluid drops

Abstract

We report an experimental study of a fingering pattern formation which occurs during the spreading of an immiscible thin ferrofluid drop subjected to a radial magnetic field. Our results indicate that this ferrohydro-dynamic system works as a magnetic analog of conventional spin coating, where centrifugal driving is replaced with a magnetic body force induced by the radial applied field. In this context, a magnetically tunable pattern selection mechanism is proposed in which the shape and number of the arising fingered structures can be properly controlled.