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Related Concept Videos

Potential Due to a Magnetized Object01:24

Potential Due to a Magnetized Object

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Magnetic dipoles in magnetic materials are aligned when placed under an external magnetic field. For paramagnets and ferromagnets, dipole alignment occurs in the direction of the magnetic field. However, the dipoles align opposite to the field in the case of diamagnets. This state of magnetic polarization due to the external field is called magnetization. Magnetization is defined as the dipole moment per unit volume. It plays a similar role to polarization in electrostatics.
The vector...
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Paramagnetism01:30

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Paramagnets are materials with unpaired electrons that possess a finite magnetic moment. In the absence of a magnetic field, these moments are randomly oriented, and thus the net moment is zero. Under an external field, a torque acting on the moments tends to align them along the field's direction. However, the random thermal motion of electrons produces a torque opposite to the external field and tries to disorient the moments. These two competing effects align only a few moments along the...
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Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes01:23

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In the absence of an external magnetic field, nuclear spin states are degenerate and randomly oriented. When a magnetic field is applied, the spins begin to precess and orient themselves along (lower energy) or against (higher energy) the direction of the field. At equilibrium, a slight excess population of spins exists in the lower energy state. Because the direction of the magnetic field is fixed as the z-axis,  the precessing magnetic moments are randomly oriented around the z-axis.
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Diamagnetism01:26

Diamagnetism

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Materials consisting of paired electrons have zero net magnetic moments. However, when these materials are placed under an external magnetic field, the moments opposite to the field are induced. Such materials are called diamagnets. Diamagnetism is the response of the diamagnets when placed in an external magnetic field.
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Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Magnetic Moment00:59

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All atomic nuclei are positively charged. When they have a nonzero spin, they behave like rotating charges. As a consequence of their charge and spin, these nuclei generate a magnetic field (B). This, in turn, gives rise to a magnetic moment (μ), which is randomly oriented in the absence of an external magnetic field. When an external magnetic field (B0) is applied, the magnetic moment vectors can align with the field or against it in 2 + 1 orientations. A hydrogen nucleus, which is just a...
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Magnetostatic Boundary Conditions01:28

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An electric field suffers a discontinuity at a surface charge. Similarly, a magnetic field is discontinuous at a surface current. The perpendicular component of a magnetic field is continuous across the interface of two magnetic mediums. In contrast, its parallel component, perpendicular to the current, is discontinuous by the amount equal to the product of the vacuum permeability and the surface current. Like the scalar potential in electrostatics, the vector potential is also continuous...
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Building Langmuir Probes and Emissive Probes for Plasma Potential Measurements in Low Pressure, Low Temperature Plasmas
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Spontaneous magnetization of collisionless plasma.

Muni Zhou1, Vladimir Zhdankin2,3, Matthew W Kunz3,4

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Cosmic magnetic fields originate from generic plasma turbulence, not just astrophysical processes. This study explains the spontaneous generation of these initial magnetic fields, advancing our understanding of cosmic magnetogenesis.

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Area of Science:

  • Astrophysics
  • Plasma Physics
  • Cosmology

Background:

  • Dynamically significant magnetic fields are observed throughout the Universe.
  • The origin of these cosmic magnetic fields remains a fundamental unsolved problem in astrophysics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a new theoretical framework for understanding the origin of cosmic magnetism.
  • To investigate the role of plasma microphysics in the generation of magnetic fields.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing kinetic plasma physics to analyze astrophysical turbulence.
  • Developing theoretical models and performing numerical simulations.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrating the spontaneous generation of initial magnetic fields by astrophysical turbulence.
  • Showing that cosmic plasmas can become ubiquitously magnetized through these processes.

Conclusions:

  • This work presents a paradigm for cosmic magnetogenesis, explaining the origin of primordial magnetic fields.
  • The findings lay the groundwork for understanding how these seed fields are amplified by turbulent dynamos.