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Researchers Discover "Magnetic Current"

Posted by samzenpus on from the positive-and-negative-waves dept.

fsouto writes "Researchers have discovered a magnetic equivalent to electricity. From the article, 'The phenomenon, dubbed "magnetricity," could be used in magnetic storage or in computing. Magnetic monopoles were first predicted to exist over a century ago, as a perfect analogue to electric charges. Although there are protons and electrons with net positive and negative electric charges, there were no particles in existence which carry magnetic charges. Rather, every magnet has a "north" and "south" pole.'"

7 of 249 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Maxwell Equations by dlenmn · · Score: 4, Insightful

    There was also no theoretical reason for monopoles _to_ exist.

    Well, if there is so much as one magnetic monopole in existance, it would explain the quantization of electric charge. I call that a theoretical reason for monopoles to exist.

  2. Re:aren't the 2 linked? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The "Gauss' Law" for magnetism (in quotes because this isn't a universally accepted name) is commonly taken to be div(B) = 0, but that's not always the case. The law can be div(B) = rho_m (Gaussian units), where rho_m is the magnetic charge density, analogous to the rho_e electric charge density in Gauss' law. In this case there is also a non-zero J_m, magnetic current.

    Basically, Maxwell's equations and the rest of EM theory accept a magnetic monopole freely, but as far as we have seen, none exist in nature. Paul Dirac has shown that the existence of magnetic monopoles would explain the quantization of electric charge.

  3. Re:Maxwell Equations by emjay88 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    There was also no theoretical reason for monopoles _to_ exist.

    I think the point the GP was making was that there was no reason that they couldn't exist...

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    1178161 is prime...
  4. Re:So this means by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Hey! I've an idea! Let's take an average car driver and stick 'em in a heli and see what happens!

  5. the article itself, and available by f3r · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I post the paper itself (not the abstract whose text cannot be accessed, not a derivative article in a divulgative magazine) arXiv:0907.0956 I know nobody is interested, because after so many posts no one had the urge. But anyway..

    Why not link directly to arXiv in all scientific posts? Maybe a divulgative link AND a link to the paper in the arXiv. I am crazy?

  6. Re:Maxwell Equations by Chris+Burke · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Note to self: physics-based sarcasm is a bad idea.

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    The enemies of Democracy are
  7. Re:I've played around with the physics of this by pjt33 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    In other words, set up these two bodies, and they'd chase each other across the universe at ever increasing speeds, forever. Which would appear to violate conservation of energy.

    Would it? The negative mass will also have negative kinetic energy.