Scientists managed to create a new material based on graphite that can literally “fly” using a magnetic field. It is about magnetic levitation.
RBK-Ukraine (Styler project) tells what is known about this achievement of scientists and how it can help humanity.
The following sources were used in the preparation of the material: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Futurism, Phys.Org, AIP Publishing.
What research is it about
< p>Researchers from the Quantum Machines Division of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) in Japan are studying so-called levitating materials – substances that can remain “suspended” in a stable position without any physical contact or mechanical support.
According to the results of a recent study, scientists managed to create a new graphite-based material that can “fly” with the help of a magnetic field.
To test the theory, Professor Jason Twamley (head of the unit) together with a team of researchers from OIST and international employees developed a special “floating” platform in a vacuum using graphite and magnets.
How the latest material “works”
The most common type of levitation occurs with the help of a magnetic field, so the platform created by scientists “works” without the use of external power sources.
It consists of:
- graphite balls with a special chemical powder coating
- a set of magnets arranged in the form of a grid from below
The principle of “working” of the platform is that the materials that repel the magnetic field (in this study it is graphite) , create their own magnetic field in the opposite direction. This allows them to levitate, ignoring gravity.
While creating the new material from graphite, the researchers chemically altered it to become an “electrical insulator” that stops energy loss and allows the material to levitate.
How Magnetic Levitation Can Help Humanity
According to scientists, if you reduce the number of movements of a piece of graphite to a minimum, you can create special sensors that can detect changes in gravity down to the atomic level.
The authors of the study explain that heat causes movement, but that through constant observation and by providing real-time feedback in the form of corrective actions, this movement can be reduced.
Essentially, because the feedback will regulate rate of energy loss, this will reduce the kinetic energy of the system and cool it down.
In general, creating a platform that levitates freely and does not require external power sources can help to scientists:
- in the development of ultra-sensitive sensors for highly accurate and efficient measurements (both for scientific and household purposes)
- in the creation of new sensor technologies
- in the further study of the behavior of atoms and accurate measurement of gravity
Currently, scientists are working on improving the created system – to eliminate unnecessary external “disturbances” and use the latest technology for further research.