German Lab Generates the Strongest Magnetic Field Ever Created
Copper Coils A U.S. Navy sailor coils wire for an electric motor aboard a U.S. carrier. By similarly coiling and wrapping copper to create powerful and durable electromagnets, German researchers have generated the world's highest magnetic field. U.S. Navy Call it another victory for German design. Researchers in Dresden have set a new world record for the strongest magnetic field ever manufactured at the High Magnetic Field Laboratory Dresden (HZDR). Using a two-layer, 440-pound copper coil the size of a water bucket, they managed to coax 91.4 teslas from their creation for just a few milliseconds, surpassing the previous record of 89 teslas. That's a lot of teslas. Your standard high-power copper coil would be torn apart at something like 25 teslas, the researchers say. That's because the magnetic field and the electric current that creates it work at cross purposes at higher energies. The current running through the coil generates the...