Feasibility of Containment of Quantum Magnetic Dipoles

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The design of a ``magnetic bottle'' for neutral quantum magnetic dipoles is considered. It is shown that atoms or molecules with a magnetic moment and described by a wavefunction ψ(JmJ) may be confined to the interior of a toroid for suitable values of J and mJ for periods of the order of seconds. The magnetic field which is required for containment is obtained by a current distribution which is formed by six current loops symmetrically placed on the toroid surface. Adjacent current loops carry current in opposite directions. For large toroids the magnetic field distribution approaches that of the hexagonal array of linear currents used by Friedberg for focusing magnetic dipoles. The trajectories inside the toroid, the design of an experimental system, and the limitation of the ``magnetic bottle'' are considered. Containment of atomic hydrogen and the metastable states of some gases seem feasible; and the containment of neutrons, other atomic systems, and molecules awaits improved techniques of thermal moderation.