Abstract
A boundary layer analysis has been presented to study the effect of Hall current on the MHD natural convection flow of a viscous incompressible fluid along a semi-infinite uniformly heated vertical plate in the presence of a strong cross magnetic field. The governing equations are expressed in terms of local non-similar boundary layer equations. Solutions are obtained for small and large values of local Hartmann parameter, xi. For small xi solutions are obtained through power series method and for large xi analytical solutions are obtained via matched asymptotic expansion method. Numerical solutions are also obtained by implicit finite difference method together with Thompson's algorithm, over the entire range of xi. The boundary layer structure is investigated in terms of shear stress, tau(w), rate of heat transfer, q(w), and rate of mass transfer, m(w), for low Prandtl number (i.e. Pr << 1). Comprehensive interpretation of energy distribution is also given in terms of heatlines. (C) 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.