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Re:The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor by colechristensen on Tuesday July 25, 2023 @03:58PM (#36868437)
>As far as I know, that’s possible with permanent magnets (and it would be weird, but not impossible, if the group instead synthesized a novel ferromagnet and didn’t notice)

As far as I know a stable arrangement of permanent magnets levitating is impossible without a baring surface to keep them aligned. (i.e. free floating levitation is not possible without active control)

Re:The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor by floxy on Tuesday July 25, 2023 @04:09PM (#36868611)
Just so everyone is on the same page, static passive diamagnetic levitation is possible with materials like pyrolytic graphite.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamagnetism

https://www.kjmagnetics.com/blog.asp?p=diamagnetic-levitatio...

...and superconductors are usually perfectly diamagnetic.

Re:The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor by colechristensen on Tuesday July 25, 2023 @09:55PM (#36872225)
Every substance is one of

* ferromagnetic - attracted to one pole of a magnet but not the other (in a given orientation), this is what everybody thinks of when they think of "magnets"

* paramagnetic - attracted to both poles, i.e. stuff that sticks to magnets

* diamagnetic - repelled by both poles, except in superconductors, this effect is very weak compared to the forces experienced involving ferro-ferro or fero-paramagnetic materials.

There isn't another category, everything fits in to one of those buckets.

Saying

>Just so everyone is on the same page, static passive diamagnetic levitation is possible with materials like pyrolytic graphite.

is a bit deceptive, as what people know as "magnetic" materials are ferromagnetic.

Re:The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor by CMScientist on Wednesday July 26, 2023 @10:39PM (#36888232)
You literally missed the most common magnetic phase - antiferromagnetism
Re:The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor by jacquesm on Tuesday July 25, 2023 @06:31PM (#36870582)
That's not quite true. There is a Halbach array with a bunch of compensation coils that will nicely center as long as it is moving, no active control or bearing required.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S03048...

And many others besides. Halbach arrays are fascinating.

Re:The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor by floxy on Tuesday July 25, 2023 @06:41PM (#36870703)
Re:The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor by jacquesm on Tuesday July 25, 2023 @06:48PM (#36870811)
stationary. Hence the 'as long as it is moving' bit above. Because the motion allows for the coils to generate enough of a current to drive the compensation. So you need a support system to bring the assembly up to a certain minimum speed above which it will stably levitate.
Re:The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor by floxy on Tuesday July 25, 2023 @06:55PM (#36870857)
Right. Everyone should just read up on Earnshaw's theorem to know what all the boundary conditions are.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levitron

Re:The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor by jacquesm on Tuesday July 25, 2023 @07:02PM (#36870933)
I wonder how long you could get one of those to spin in a vacuum.

Halbach arrays with compensating coils have been proposed for some interesting applications, such as low loss flywheels for electrical storage. I don't know if that ever got commercialized but I do recall that some prototypes were made by a US company. I can't find a reference to it though.

Re:The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor by floxy on Tuesday July 25, 2023 @07:22PM (#36871105)
>I wonder how long you could get one of those to spin in a vacuum.

Not too much longer apparently...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn7IedCgva0