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Magnetic field sought by researchers
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by Leah Schubert
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
A new experiment led by University of Wisconsin researchers is attempting to create a magnetic field-generating dynamo, similar to what is found in the Earth’s core.
The research, known as the Madison Dynamo Experiment, is one of only five of its kind in the world.
Cary Forest, a UW physics professor who leads the experiment, said he hopes the research will help discover more about the magnetic fields present in many astronomical bodies, such as planets, stars and galaxies. A deeper understanding of these phenomena and how they are generated is desired, according to Forest.
“Our experiment is unique in many ways,” Forest said. “[However, it] shares the same idea [as similar research] of using liquid sodium to create a magnetic field.”
The team of four scientists behind the experiment includes two UW graduate students.
UW professor and astrophysicist Ellen Zweibel said studying magnetic fields in distant planets, stars and galaxies can be challenging.
“These systems are very remote, so there are many things we don’t know about how they generate their magnetic fields,” she said.
Forest said the biggest problem associated with studying the Earth’s magnetic field is the unfeasibility of placing a probe into the molten iron center of the planet. By creating a magnetic field of their own that is similar to the Earth’s, Forest said his team of scientists can circumvent this problem.
Forest said the Madison Dynamo Experiment may help scientists answer basic questions, such as how fast magnetic fields grow and when and why they stop growing.
Forest said a major feature of the research is a stainless steel sphere that is one meter in diameter and has two large propellers on each end.
The propellers, which are powered by 100 horsepower motors, cause the liquid sodium to turn, Forest said.
“By putting energy into a flowing fluid … flow energy is converted to magnetic energy,” Forest said.
The result of the process is a magnetic field.
Forest said Madison Dynamo is an especially important project because, unlike other methods of studying magnetic fields, it is an active experiment.
According to Forest, today’s standard type of research is accomplished through large numerical computations solved on supercomputers. He added the Madison Dynamo Experiment allows the scientists to change specific variables and actually see the results.
“We can actively participate in this kind of observational science,” Forest said.
Some UW students consider the experiment’s originality very impressive.
“It is a new and creative approach to understanding the dynamics of our planet,” said UW sophomore Chris Behnke, who is an engineering major.
Forest has worked on the Madison Dynamo Experiment for seven years. He said the first few years of work consisted of several small experiments, which led to the design of Madison Dynamo. The following four years’ work went toward the experiment’s large construction.
Forest said the Madison Dynamo Experiment has been fully functioning for the past four months.
Anonymous (January 30, 2005 @ 3:37pm):
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