Superconductor dust levitation in the Earth's magnetic field

[lzh]

In the wake of recent metallic hydrogen news, and the fact that metallic has long been thought to be a room temperature superconductor, I began to ponder about the age old question of superconductor levitation. Now that we are no longer restricted by temperature requirements, perhaps levitation on Earth won't be a pipe dream any longer.

There are still many issues with metallic hydrogen, notably metastability, but let's assume that we've solved those issues and can control metallic hydrogen's state at will.

I don't know how dense metallic hydrogen are but they are the lightest metal in the known universe, and to simplify this problem we will restrict ourselves to powder superconductors, metallic hydrogen that has been shaved into the finest grains of metal possible. Picture each grain as microscopic flat thin metal sheets.

Given these criteria, the weak magnetic field on Earth should be able to create lift on the powder. Assume that this experiment is being carried out in a closed container, so air currents won't affect the powder. I did some rough calculations, and it seems to show that this type of lift is possible.

However, the magnetic fields would exist on all sides of the superconductor and create opposing force that would essentially nullify each other. It's not like the lab experiments where a magnet and superconductor are placed together. My question is, how can you control the directionality of the force when there are conflicting magnetic fields on opposite ends?

I was considering that the powder particle have some kind of distinct shape that allows for greater lift in one direction in contrast to another. But I'm not sure if this is feasible or makes sense. Any ideas would be appreciated!

 

[eljose79]

I find this topic very intriguing and I appreciate your curiosity about the possibilities of levitation with metallic hydrogen. The recent news about metallic hydrogen certainly opens up a lot of potential for new applications and discoveries. Let me address your questions and provide some insights.

Firstly, I agree that the major challenge with metallic hydrogen is its metastability. This means that it can easily revert back to its normal state, losing its metallic properties and superconductivity. However, if we are able to control its state at will, as you suggested, then levitation could definitely be a possibility.

Now, to answer your question about controlling the directionality of the levitating force, there are a few potential solutions. One possibility is to use a specially designed magnetic field that is shaped in a way to create a directional force on the powder particles. This could be achieved by using a combination of different types of magnets and controlling their orientation and strength.

Another approach could be to use the shape of the powder particles themselves to create a directional lift. This is similar to what you mentioned about the particles having a distinct shape. By designing the particles in a way that they have a higher surface area in one direction, they could experience a greater lift in that direction.

Additionally, we could also consider using a combination of both techniques to achieve a more precise and controllable levitation force. It would require further experimentation and fine-tuning, but it is definitely a possibility.

I would also like to mention that levitation using magnetic fields is not a new concept. Superconducting materials have been used to levitate small objects in laboratory settings for many years now. However, the challenge has always been to achieve levitation at room temperature, which could now be possible with metallic hydrogen.

In conclusion, while there are still many challenges and unknowns with using metallic hydrogen for levitation, it is an exciting possibility that could potentially become a reality in the future. We just need to continue researching and experimenting with this fascinating material. Thank you for bringing up this interesting topic for discussion.