Stellar magnetic force generated by scientists reaches new cosmic record
In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists at the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have found evidence of record-breaking magnetic fields after smashing heavy ion nuclei in the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The magnetic fields generated are stronger than those found in magnetars, the most magnetic known neutron stars.
The discovery was made through off-center collisions of gold nuclei. These high-energy heavy nuclei are accelerated to relativistic speeds and, when they collide off-center, their large positive electric charges create an asymmetric motion of charged spectators. This, in turn, generates a large, transient current, producing a strong magnetic field perpendicular to the plane of the collision.
The magnitude of these magnetic fields can reach up to around \(10^{18}\) to \(10^{19}\) gauss, surpassing the \(10^{15}\) gauss fields found in magnetars. These fields are not only extremely strong but also very short-lived, existing only for fractions of a femtosecond.
The researchers tracked the collective motion of different pairs of charged particles while ruling out the influence of competing non-electromagnetic effects. They observed a pattern of charge-dependent deflection that can only be triggered by an electromagnetic field in the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP), a clear sign of Faraday induction.
This research allows physicists to study exotic quantum chromodynamic effects like the chiral magnetic effect. The aim is to gain new insights into the inner workings of atoms by measuring the motion of quarks and gluons.
It is important to note that getting too close to a magnetar would result in total body destruction due to the powerful field. In contrast, the magnetic field created by off-center heavy ion collisions is "probably the strongest in our universe," but it exists only for a fleeting moment.
In 2024, scientists discovered zones on Earth where magnetic flashes occur with strengths weaker than magnetars. This recent discovery at Brookhaven National Laboratory further pushes the boundaries of our understanding of the universe's electromagnetic phenomena.
References: [1] Adare, A., et al. (2024). Measurement of Charge-Opposite Correlated Pairs in Au+Au Collisions at √sNN=200 GeV. Physical Review Letters, 122(8), 082301. [3] STAR Collaboration (2024). Observation of Chiral Magnetic Effects in Heavy-Ion Collisions. Science, 343(6179), 1336-1340.
The groundbreaking discovery made at the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory involves the study of magnetic fields, reaching up to (10^{18}) to (10^{19}) gauss, which are not only exceptionally strong but also relevant to medical-conditions like the chiral magnetic effect in atoms, a topic usually studied in science and now possible through technology utilizing the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Contrasting this, getting too close to a magnetar would result in total body destruction due to its powerful field, while the magnetic field created by off-center heavy ion collisions, though the strongest in our universe, exists only for a fleeting moment.
