Magnetism's subatomic roots: Rice study of high-tech materials helps explain everyday phenomenon

Rice University ^ | Friday, September 3, 2010 | Jade Boyd

[SunkenCiv]

The modern world -- with its ubiquitous electronic devices and electrical power -- can trace its lineage directly to the discovery, less than two centuries ago, of the link between electricity and magnetism. But while engineers have harnessed electromagnetic forces on a global scale, physicists still struggle to describe the dance between electrons that creates magnetic fields.

Two theoretical physicists from Rice University are reporting initial success in that area in a new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Their new conceptual model, which was created to learn more about the quantum quirks of high-temperature superconductors and other high-tech materials, has also proven useful in describing the origins of ferromagnetism -- the everyday "magnetism" of compass needles and refrigerator magnets...

Ferromagnets are what most people think of as magnets. They're the permanently magnetic materials that keep notes stuck to refrigerators the world over. Scientists have long understood the large-scale workings of ferromagnets, which can be described theoretically from a coarse-grained perspective. But at a deeper, fine-grained level -- down at the scale of atoms and electrons -- the origins of ferromagnetism remain fuzzy.

[EternalVigilance]

Hey, just trying to do my small part to try and make your thread e-special-ly relative.

[LomanBill]

>>Nope, someone gave me some pointers.

 

Zero pointers?   {rimshot}

 

 

 

 

[LomanBill]

>>no more negative comments....

 

That's very harmonious.

 

 

 

[SunkenCiv]

:’) Obviously some of these theorists want to go monopole a monopole.

[SunkenCiv]

Awwwwwwwww...

[onedoug]

Electromagnetism is a unified theory well explained by Maxwell´s Law in both classical and quantum settings. In fact, what might seem predominantly electrical to one set of observers might appear as magnetic to another.

The article however,does not seem to have really taken this up.

Interesting post though. Thanks.

[LomanBill]

If that current attitude stays persistent, they might end up dancing in a ring.

[LomanBill]

Perhaps if Qubit’s arrow were to pierce their hearts for a just moment, it would potentially make tunneling through their differences seem relatively attractive?

[Erasmus]

Is there a spin doctor in the house?

[Rocky]

OK, they created a theoretical model. I can’t see where they explained how magnetism works.

[SunkenCiv]

“Current attitude” — rimshot!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks 1d.

[SunkenCiv]

Hence the “nestingdolls” keyword. :’)

[SunkenCiv]

That gets me interested in popping in that CD... “I got a pocket full of kryptonite...”