Experimental observations of magneto-acoustic fields

Abstract

Experimental observations of electric fields induced in salt water by acoustic waves in a resonant cavity interacting with a strong constant magnetic field are described. The fields are found to behave linearly with the constant magnetic field strength as well as with the acoustic field strength as predicted theoretically. However, the measured electric fields are an order of magnitude greater than predicted by the theory. A similar result has been obtained recently by independent investigators in an open ocean experiment. The discrepancy may be related to the similarity between electromagnetic and acoustic phase velocities in salt water at low frequencies.