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New Class of "Non-Joulian" Magnets Change Volume In Magnetic Field
Zothecula notes an announcement from the University of Maryland saying they have developed a new class of magnets, called "Non-Joulian" magnets, which physically expand in the presence of a magnetic field. "In the 1840s, physicist James Prescott Joule discovered that iron-based magnetic materials changed their shape but not their volume when placed in a magnetic field. This phenomenon is referred to as "Joule Magnetostriction," and since its discovery 175 years ago, all magnets have been characterized on this basis." Another significant property of these new magnets is that they can harvest or convert energy with very little waste heat (abstract). The magnets are created when thermally-treated, iron-based alloys are heated in a furnace, then rapidly cooled. When they reach room temperature, they have an odd, almost cellular shape on the microscopic level. The researchers say the magnets have numerous applications for energy-efficient sensors and actuators.
"Sadly, they published in Nature. So I can view the paper for $5 or download as PDF for $32'
OR...you could borrow someone's university library card and download the paper illegally. Then wait for the federal government to charge you with treason, genocide and child molestation. But this time instead of being a weenie and killing yourself, get onto social media, trumpet the ridiculousness of the charges, and make monkeys of the prosecution just in time for election season. Profit!