Electrically driven vortices in a dipolar magnetic field

H. Salas - S. Cuevas - E. Ramos

Centro de Investigación en Energía, UNAM, A.P. 34, Temixco, Mor. 62580, MEXICO

Abstract
An experimental and theoretical investigation of quasi-two-di\-men\-sio\-nal vortices driven by the interaction of a uniform electric current with a dipolar magnetic field is presented. The experiment was carried out in a shallow layer of an electrolytic solution contained in a rectangular box, in the bottom of which a permanent dipolar magnet was placed. The injection of a direct electric current through two opposite copper electrodes produced a Lorentz force that created a couple of well-defined counter-rotating vortices. A simple two-dimensional model was developed; the analytical solution and the experimental results are in qualitative agreement. Figs 4, Refs 9.