Formation of coulomb clusters from charged diamagnetic microparticles in inhomogeneous magnetic field

Abstract

The possibility of levitating Coulomb clusters formed by charged diamagnetic microparticles in an inhomogeneous magnetic field has been theoretically substantiated and experimentally confirmed. An experimental setup is described, in which the Coulomb clusters can be formed from charged graphite particles 100–300 μm in size and maintained stable between the poles of an electromagnet generating a magnetic field with induction B ∼ 104 G and gradient |∂B| ∼ 105 G/cm.