Breakups of magnetic chains in an oscillating field

Y.-H. Li¹ - E. Bansal^{1, 2} - C.-Y. Chen²

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan, ROC
² Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India

Abstract
This article outlines and illustrates the manipulations and rupture mechanisms of micro magnetic chains by experimental and numerical analysis. A reversible micro-chain consisting of micro-meter superparamagnetic particles is formed under a static directional field and manipulated by an additional dynamical perpendicular field. We demonstrate the chains' different behaviors from rigid body oscillations and bending distortions to rupture failures. By calculating the induced drag and the normal force, which dominate the deformation and ruptures of the chains, we find that the distortions and ruptures occur at the position between the two particles, which sustain significant drag variation with respect to the normal force. Figs 8, Refs 17.