Magnetic Concentration: Exploring Halbach Arrays & Maxwell's Eqs

[Quasaire]

Is the soft iron core the only known way of concentrating magnetism? I know that Halbach arrays create a sort of "monopole" by canceling the field on one side of the magnet but that, in my opinion, is not really concentration but rather asymmetrical field distortion. Afterall, the array doesn't actually transfer the field from one side of the magnet to the other or does it?

And while I'm on the subject does contemporary physics knowledge explain why Halbach arrays work? Isn't it true that Maxwell's equations says monopoles can't exist? It would be like trying to make a sphere on flat paper? Actually I don't understand his equations, as I'm not in that high of math, but so I heard anyway.

 

[Tyger]

Here's a nice link

on Halback arrays, there's plenty more on the web. Surprising how many simple gadgets there are left to invent.

http://www.matchrockets.com/ether/halbach.html

HA are just conventional physics. Imagine a refrigerator magnet made by gluing little horseshoe magnets together so that the dipole field is all on one side, and you get the idea.

There are plenty of materials besides Iron that concentrate magnetism, Iron is cheap and effective. You can also use superconductors to make "permenant" magnets.

 

[Graeme Robinson]

The soft iron core is not the only known way of concentrating magnetism. Other techniques, such as Halbach arrays, can also be used to concentrate magnetic fields. Halbach arrays work by arranging multiple magnets in a specific pattern, which results in a stronger and more focused magnetic field on one side of the array while canceling out the field on the other side. While this may seem like asymmetrical field distortion, it is still a form of concentration as the magnetic field is being strengthened and focused in one direction.

As for the explanation behind why Halbach arrays work, contemporary physics knowledge does provide an explanation. While Maxwell's equations do state that monopoles cannot exist, Halbach arrays do not actually create a true monopole. Instead, they create a magnetic field that is stronger on one side and weaker on the other, resulting in a net concentration of the field. This is not in violation of Maxwell's equations.

It is important to note that while contemporary physics does provide an explanation for Halbach arrays, there is still ongoing research and exploration in this field. As our understanding of magnetism and its properties continues to advance, we may discover new techniques and methods for concentrating magnetic fields.