Magnetic field of moving charges

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the experimental measurement of the magnetic field produced by mechanically moving charges. Participants explore various aspects of this topic, including definitions of mechanical movement, potential experiments, and existing literature on the subject.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the existence of experimental proof for the magnetic field produced by moving charges, specifically referencing known equations.
  • Another participant suggests that an electron beam could be considered mechanical movement and notes that moving a charged solid object produces detectable magnetic fields, though not at a DIY level.
  • A participant requests references for measurements of the magnetic field of electron beams and cites an article claiming that the magnetic field is due to intrinsic magnetic moments rather than the equations mentioned.
  • Some participants mention that linear accelerators can produce significant beam currents, which could be measured with a Hall probe, but dedicated measurements are hard to find.
  • One participant introduces the Kelvin Generator's water drop levitation effect as a potential example of magnetic field formation by moving charges, while expressing confusion about the underlying mechanisms.
  • Another participant responds to the Kelvin Generator example, suggesting that the observed behavior could be explained by quasistatic electric attraction rather than magnetic effects.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on what constitutes mechanical movement and the relevance of various experimental setups. There is no consensus on the existence of direct experimental measurements of the magnetic field from moving charges, and the discussion remains unresolved regarding the interpretations of certain phenomena.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the difficulty in finding dedicated measurements of magnetic fields from moving charges, as many results pertain to deflections by external fields. The discussion also highlights the complexity of distinguishing between magnetic fields due to moving charges and those arising from intrinsic properties.

samueljun
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Hi! I wonder if there was any experimental measurement of magnetic field produced by mechanically moving charges.

In principle the equation is well known.
Image378.gif
(1)

But is there any experimental proof of this equation? I know it can be reformulated into this.
wire.h1.gif
(2)

My question is "Is there any experimental proof of Eq. (1)?"

I guest particle accelerator level experiment would create detectable magnetic field. I read lightning magnetise things, but it is not a direct measurement.

Please let me know if there is any DIY level experiment of measuring magnetic field by mechanical movement of charges. If it is not possible, could anyone explain why?

Thank you in advance!
 
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What do you count as mechanical movement? Is an electron beam okay? In that case: not hard to detect.

Moving a solid object with a net charge produces tiny magnetic fields. Moving a 1µC charge by 1 km/s (that is a bullet) leads to a field of ~10nT at a distance of 10cm. Detectable, but not as DIY experiment.
 
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mfb said:
What do you count as mechanical movement? Is an electron beam okay? In that case: not hard to detect.

Moving a solid object with a net charge produces tiny magnetic fields. Moving a 1µC charge by 1 km/s (that is a bullet) leads to a field of ~10nT at a distance of 10cm. Detectable, but not as DIY experiment.

Thank you mfb. Could you give me any reference that measures magnetic field of electron beam? I see only articles of electron beam deflected by magnetic field.
By the way, I found this article.
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/ElectronBeamMagneticField.pdf
This says that magnetic field is not due to the eq. 1 of my post but to intrinsic magnetic moment.
What do you think about this argument?
 
I'm not aware of dedicated measurements (they probably exist, but searching for them is basically impossible, you get spammed with results of deflecting a beam with external fields), but some linear accelerators can produce beam currents larger than 100 mA. A simple hall probe next to the beam would be sufficient.

In colliders, the electromagnetic field of one beam has a significant impact on the other beam. This is called beam-beam effect and https://lhc-beam-beam.web.cern.ch/lhc-beam-beam/CERNpapers_beambeam.html.
 
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mfb said:
I'm not aware of dedicated measurements (they probably exist, but searching for them is basically impossible, you get spammed with results of deflecting a beam with external fields), but some linear accelerators can produce beam currents larger than 100 mA. A simple hall probe next to the beam would be sufficient.

In colliders, the electromagnetic field of one beam has a significant impact on the other beam. This is called beam-beam effect and https://lhc-beam-beam.web.cern.ch/lhc-beam-beam/CERNpapers_beambeam.html.

Many thanks to mfb. I wonder if the water drop levitating (orbiting) effect of Kelvin Generator can be the example of magnetic field formation by mechanically moving charge. Otherwise it is so strange... Please have a look at the videos.



Kelvin dropper experiment is easy to set up. The reason for water drop splashing is charged water repulsion. But orbiting around the ring with static electricity is not easy to explain. The only way is that the magnetic field direction changes with time so that the electric field is induced.

I look forward to your great opinion!
 
Orbiting around the ring is exactly what you would expect with a simple quasistatic electric attraction.
 
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