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The gradual development of a thin liquid film on the surface of a rotating disk is studied analytically when the thermocapillary force is in action in the presence of a transverse magnetic field. It is found that the acting thermocapillary force has a profound effect in enhancing the thinning rate of the film even in the presence of large Hartmann number M. A physical explanation of this result is provided. Large amounts of fluid are depleted in a small span of time when the Hartmann number M is small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stability of a perfectly conducting viscous film flowing down an inclined plane at a moderate Reynolds number in the presence of an applied normal electric field is studied in the finite amplitude regime. Due to the presence of the interface, the normal electric field produces an additional stress, which affects the flow dynamics considerably. Using the momentum integral method a nonlinear evolution equation for the development of the free surface is derived. The study reveals that the electric parameter introduces instability into the flow field. Further, nonlinear studies show that both a subcritical unstable zone and a supercritical stable zone may exist along with unconditional stable and explosive zones, depending on the wavenumber versus Reynolds number plane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]