Clusters of charged diamagnetic particles levitating in nonuniform magnetic field

Abstract

For confinement and investigation of strongly coupled systems of charged macroparticles, we propose to use a trap based on the known possibility of the levitation of diamagnetic bodies in a nonuniform steady-state magnetic field. An experimental setup is described, which is capable of forming and confining clusters of charge graphite particles sized 100 to 300 μm in magnetic field B∼1 T and |∇B| ∼ 10 T/cm. It is inferred that it will be possible to form stable 3D structures containing several thousands macroparticles under terrestrial conditions by using fields B>10 T, and under microgravity conditions by using fields B∼0.1 T.