[meteorite-list] Magnetism

From: MexicoDoug <mexicodoug_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2011 19:56:11 -0400 (EDT)
Message-ID: <8CE696476C834D5-D64-106486_at_webmail-d084.sysops.aol.com>

Hi Pete

Unfortunately, you can't think of magnetism as just a whole bunch of
physical atom-sized magnets aligning to explain everything, without
taking into consideration the wave equation for the electrons;
translated: whoever said that a crystal structure of two ferromagnetic
metals would prevent it from acting as a magnet is wrong. As a matter
of fact it is the reverse: the (imperfect) crystal structure for
meteorites and crystal structure in general is precisely what enables
the permanent magnetism.

The fact that meteorites become magnetized is advantageous to certain
studies as you can tell something about the magnetic fields they have
been exposed to in the past with the residual magnetism they retain.

This is why it is sometimes frowned upon to put powerful magnets
against meteorites such as the ones at the end of a meteorite hunting
cane or even to hold them on "antigravity" display stands. Because
they erase the slightly perceivable net magnetic moment and
distribution just like sticking your credit card in a nuclear magnetic
resonance machine. That was the history since the beginning of the
solar system or something thereabouts, wiped in a flash.

Whatever you do, don't bring your meteorites into an NMR chamber unless
they are bolted down. Because they will shoot right out of your pants
and might do some damage where it hurts - and remain quite magnetized.

Ask yourself: Is it possible for a permanent magnet material like iron
or nickel to be attracted to a magnet, but at the same time not to be
magnetized, providing it has an imperfect structure, like just about
everything in nature?

Kindest wishes
Doug




-----Original Message-----
From: pshugar <pshugar at messengersfromthecosmos.com>
To: The List <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Fri, Nov 4, 2011 5:33 pm
Subject: [meteorite-list] Magnetism


List,
The actual mechanics of magnetism is a very hard to define quality.
When I was in college, we settled on defining it as having the
overwhelming majority of all the atoms aligned into the same plane.
This would be when all the electron shells spin in he same direction.
Now in theory, each little piece of iron's atoms could align itself with
all
the other atomic iron pieces, at which time we could say with a
certainty
that the meteorite was magnetised.
However, the small pieces of metal themselves are not in alignment,
so I would have to say it will be very difficult to do. One could place
the meteorite inside a large (number of turns) coil of wire and apply
a high voltage to the coil, magnetizing a large portion of the metal
pieces. Would they stay magnetized when the power was removed from the
coil?
Maybe in a high metal meteorite? They will have the best chance to
become
magnetic, I think.
Now moving on to Irons. Someone on the list corrected me on this once
before.
Irons have a crystal structure and are not supposed to be magnetized.
That was
the correction!
However, if this were true, then over powering the crystal structure
with a neo magnet,
causing the crystal structure to become magnetic would be impossible.
I decided to make a simple experiment. I tore out an neo magnet from an
old
defunct hard drive. These, I am told, are among the strongest of all
magnets.
The first experiment was to see at what close distance the magnet would
pick
up my test meteorite slice. It was at about 1/2 inch at which time the
test slice
jumped up to meet the descending magnet.

Next, I placed the same magnet on one end of a 2 1/2 inch long piece of
a 313.6 gm slice
of Odessa. Note that this is at least 2 inches further than the distance
from the magnet
to the test slice was.
The opposite end of the Odessa then was brought near a 1/4 inch diameter
1 inch long Sikhote-Alin. The tip of the Odessa would move but not lift
the Sikhote-Alin.
The same magnet would pick up the large 313.6 gm piece of Odessa.

I doubled the size of the magnet and repeated the above experiment and
the test slice
jumped to the doubled magnet at about 3/4 inch.

Then I placed the doubled magnet in the same spot on the 313.6 gm
Odessa. The Odessa
was then able to not only move the end of the Sikhote-Alin, but to
completely lift it.

Placing the magnet on one end of the Odessa should not have made the
Odessa become a magnet
if the atoms of iron were locked in place by the crystal structure.
Since the Iron Odessa did in fact
become slightly magnetic, I can only conclude that the crystal structure
can be overrode and the
whole meteorite might become a meteorite.
I have as yet to construct a coil large enough to put the Odessa in and
test the theory that an iron
meteorite "could" become a magnet.
One last thought. Both iron and nickle will concentrate the lines of
force of a magnet.

More will follow on this as I investigate further.
Pete Shugar
IMCA 1733















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Received on Fri 04 Nov 2011 07:56:11 PM PDT