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Extraordinary Breakthrough for Physics as Scientists Put Building-Size Magnet into the Palm of Your Hand
goodnewsnetwork.org
In a significant advancement for the field of physics, researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) have successfully condensed the immense power of a superconducting magnet. This device, which previously required the space of a small building, now fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. This remarkable achievement is often compared to the advanced technology associated with Tony Stark from the Iron Man movies. It opens up new, previously inaccessible possibilities in nuclear fusion and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). These fields are critical for understanding the fundamental nature of matter and for creating clean, sustainable energy sources.
ETH Zurich, widely recognized as a top-tier engineering school, made this discovery through its Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences. The research team created two magnets using a specialized superconducting tape. Neither magnet exceeds 2.5 inches in diameter. Despite their compact size, they generated incredibly strong magnetic fields of 38 and 42 tesla, respectively.
To contextualize this achievement, it is helpful to look at previous standards. The current world-record holder is a hybrid resistive magnet located at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Florida. This large facility generates a 45-tesla field. Historically, generating fields stronger than 30 or 35 tesla required enormous, energy-intensive infrastructure. The new ETH Zurich magnets come surprisingly close to this global record while being a fraction of the size.
The contrast with previous technology is stark. Older high-field magnets required budgets of approximately $15 million. They weighed 35 tons and stood 22 feet high. These massive structures necessitated enough copper wiring to equip 80 family-sized homes. Their operation was equally demanding. They required 33 megawatts of power to run. The cooling system used 4,000 gallons of water per minute. The system also needed 2,800 liters of liquid helium to cool the magnet to -456 degrees Fahrenheit. The world-record magnet mentioned was built in 1999. While subsequent efforts have approached 40-tesla fields with smaller devices, ETH Zurich has achieved high field strengths in a format that is more efficient and deployable.