Effects of high magnetic field on the melting behavior of W–1wt%La2O3 under high heat flux

Abstract The melting behavior of W–1wt%La2O3 under high magnetic field was studied in the present paper. Rolled W–1wt%La2O3 was exposed to pulsed laser beam with peak power density of 3.4 GW/m2. A perpendicular external high magnetic field with strength up to 8 T was loaded simultaneously during the exposure. The re-solidified structures are characterized. With increasing magnetic field, the shape of the melt layer turns more concave and the depth of the edge of the melt layer decreases. The concentrated shape of the melt layer is related to the reduced heat transfer by the suppression effect of the external magnetic field on the liquid metal convection.