– Scientists in China have built the world’s most powerful magnet capable of generating a magnetic field 800,000 times stronger than Earth’s.
– The magnet produced a steady magnetic field of 42.02 tesla, breaking the previous record of 41.4 tesla set by US researchers in 2017.
– It required 4 years of development and could enable new scientific discoveries in fields like physics, chemistry and life sciences. Over 10 Nobel Prizes have been awarded for discoveries using high magnetic fields.
– One key area is understanding quantum phase transitions which could lead to improved semiconductors.
– Producing extremely strong magnetic fields requires massive electricity – this magnet uses 32.3 megawatts. Heat management is also a challenge given its size and power requirements.
– The magnet’s strength could provide new insights across many fields, but takes significant resources to operate so discoveries must justify the costs.
Source: Independent
