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Stable magnetic field gradient levitation of Xenopus laevis: toward low-gravity simulation
J M Valles1, K Lin, J M Denegre
1Department of Physics, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA. valles@physics.brown.edu
Abstract:
We have levitated, for the first time, living biological specimens, embryos of the frog Xenopus laevis, using a large inhomogeneous magnetic field. The magnetic field/field gradient product required for levitation was 1430 kG2/cm, consistent with the embryo's susceptibility being dominated by the diamagnetism of water and protein. We show that unlike any other earth-based technique, magnetic field gradient levitation of embryos reduces the body forces and gravity-induced stresses on them. We discuss the use of large inhomogeneous magnetic fields as a probe for gravitationally sensitive phenomena in biological specimens.
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