Stability of magnetic levitation

L. M. Holmes

Citation: J. Appl. Phys. 49, 3102 (1978); doi: 10.1063/1.325300

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Stability of magnetic levitation
L. M. Holmesa)
Institute fiir Festkorperphysik, Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule, CH-8093 Ziirich. Switzerland
(Received 17 October 1977; accepted for publication 21 November 1977)

The levitation forces on metal spheres in magnetic fields of axial symmetry are derived theoretically.
Criteria for stability of the center of mass are obtained. It is shown for nonmagnetic samples that the
desirable coil configurations are those which provide a constant field gradient along the symmetry axis.
The formalism is applied to model coils of axial symmetry as an approximation to real spiral coils. An
exact formula is derived for the axial component of the magnetic field on the axis of a spiral coil wound
on the surface of a cone, and the transverse fields are evaluated approximately.

PACS numbers: 41.10.Fs, 81.20.-n, 07.20.Ka

I. INTRODUCTION
Levitation melting of metals was first put in prac-
tice by Okress et al. l in the early 1950's, although the
idea had been advanced theoretically by Muckz in 1923.
In the intervening years, the technique has found applica-
tion in a variety of specialized physiochemical and
metallurgical studies. 3-6 Our attention was drawn to the
fact that large degrees of undercooling were achieved7
in bulk samples of nickel and iron when they were levita-
tion melted. In attempting to reproduce and extend
these studies of undercooling, we found that the design
of a coil to provide for stable levitation could be a deli-
cate matter, a fact which has been documented else-
where 3 • 8 in the literature. Electromagnetic levitation
melting has been treated theoretically and in some de-
tail, for example, by Rony9 and by Fromm and Jehn, 10,11
but these treatments have resulted in only qualitative,
or at best in semiquantitative, guidelines for estimating
stability in a given coil configuration. We were there-
fore led to consider the sample stability from a theo-
retical point of view, and we found that simple quantita-
tive stability criteria can be derived in the case of axial
coil symmetry. These criteria are summarized in Eqs.
(23) and (26), and, as they have proven very useful in
deSigning coils for our studies, we present their deriva-
tion in this paper and illustrate their application in
practical numerical examples. The important qualitative
conclusions which follows from our treatment is that the
magnetic field strength must fall off almost linearly with
distance along the coil axis, if the levitation is to be
stable.
tion with these currents tends to move the sample out
of the high-field region. For the frequencies used in
practice, fS 1 MHz, the wavelength of the electromag-
netic radiation is long compared to the dimensions of
typical coils, and displacement currents may therefore
be neglected. lz We neglect displacement currents, fol-
lowing thereby the practice in previous treatements of
levitation, and we use rationalized mks units in our
analysis.
II. MAGNETIC FIELD IN AXIAL SYMMETRY
We wish to determine the form of the magnetic field in
free space on and near the symmetry axis of a coil having
axial symmetry. We take the current to be 1 A and con-
sider the low-frequency limit where displacement cur-
rents may be neglected. The field is written in terms of
its components along the orthogonal unit vectors p, (p,
and Z in a cylindrical system of coordinates,
(1)
The (p component vanishes because of the axial
symmetry,
h~ =0, (2)
z
and the p and components are functions of p and z only.
The symmetry further requires that hp(P,z) be zero on
the axis of symmetry,
(3)

The axis of symmetry is vertical in our model, and For small displacements away from a given point
the metal sample is approximated by a sphere whose (P=O, z =0) on the axiS, hp(P,z) and h6 (P,z) may be ex-
radius is small compared to the dimensions of the coil. panded as Taylor series in p and z, but hp(P,z) and
The stability criteria are derived by considering the h6 (P,z) must also be consistent with the relevant Max-
motion of the center of mass of the sample Dynamic 0
well equations, which in our limit may be written
stability within the sample, surface tension, electro-
magnetic heating of the metal, and heat exchange with V' h=Vxh=O, (4)
the surroundings are explicitly excluded from considera-
tiono Certain of these problems have been treated else- and this requirement determines the form of the Taylor-
whereo 3,9-11 series expansions. Substituting the Taylor series in the
Maxwell equations and setting the appropriate coef-
The levitation forces are essentially magnetic in ficients equal to zero, we find that the field components
character: The high-frequency magnetic field induces take the form
eddy currents in the sample, and the magnetic interac-
hz(P,z) = 01 0 + Ci lZ + Ciz(zz - ipZ) + O(r), (5)
alpresent address: 8 Heath Road, Thorpe End, Norwich NR 13,
5 BQ, England. hp (p, z) = - i Ci lP - azPz + O(r3 ),

3102 J. Appl. Phys. 49(6), June 1978 0021·8979178/4906·3102$01.10 © 1978 American Institute of Physics 3102

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where write
(15)
(6)
where the proportionality factor -?S, which we shall refer
and to as the "effective susceptibility", is dependent on ma-
terial parameters of the sample and on the frequency of
(7)
the alternating field. The force on the sample is given
A knowledge of the i component of the field on the axis by the positive 14 gradient of W,
of symmetry suffices, therefore, to determine the p (16)
component for small displacements away from the axis.
This is the instantaneous force. If Ho varies as
III. EFFECTIVE MAGNETIC DIPOLE MOMENT AND exp(i217jt), we can find the time-averaged force by re-
SUSCEPTIBILITY placing Ho by the rms value and lS by the real part of
-?S. For a field produced by a coil carrying an rms cur-
We consider a conducting sphere in a magnetic field
rent I, we write
Ho which alternates at frequency j. The field induces
eddy currents and, providing the relative permeability (17)
flR = fl/ flo differs from unity, a bulk magnetization in
where h is the field (in the absence of the sample) pro-
the sphere. The two effects were treated by Symthe, 13
duced by a direct current of 1 A. The time-averaged
who derived an expression for the effective dipole mo-
force becomes
ment mv of the sphere. If Ho varies as exp(i217jt),
(8)
(F) 0;= t flo Re[lS]PV(h' h). (18)

in rationalized mks units, where!! is the complex func- The force on a spherical sample in a field of axial
tion defined by Smythe13 in Sec. 11. 05. Comparing with symmetry is obtained by substituting for Re[lS] from
the definition below of the effective susceptibility in Eq. Eq. (13) and for h from Eqs. (5), if the sample is
(15), we see that situated near the origin on the axis. The components of
z
(F) along the p, cp, and directions are given in this
(9) case by
To obtain the time-averaged force on the sample, we (Fp) =K[(tO'i - 0'00'2)P + O(r2)],
shall need an expression for the real part of -?S. It is
convenient to define this in terms of the function (19)

(10) (F..,) = K[O' 00' 1 + (O'i + 20'00'2)Z + O(r2)],

where with the proportionality factor
(11) K =- 217 fl o a3PG(x, flR ), (20)
is the ratio of sphere radius a to skin depth os' as given where G(x, fl R ) is defined in Eq. (10) and Appendix A.
by
Os = (T/17jfl)1/2, (12) V. STABILITY OF THE CENTER OF MASS

where T is the electrical resistivity. Thus,
(13)
Four flR = 1, G (x, fl R ) has been given in Refs. 1 and 10
as the function G(x). It is positive and less than unity.
The general expression for G(x, fl R ) is given in Appendix
A, and has been plotted in Fig. 6. As flR increases from
unity, the bulk magnetization tends to counterbalance
the contributions from the eddy currents to the effective
dipole moment. G(x, fl R ) reverses sign at a critical·
value of the permeability, fl~c), as discussed in Appen-
dix A, and approaches - 2 as flR - 00.
IV. MAGNETIC ENERGY AND FORCE
The change in energy14 when a sample is brought into
a magnetic field Ho which induces a magnetic dipole
moment mv is
(14)
Neglecting hystereSiS and magnetic saturation, we may
The sample may be levitated at a given position of the
axis of symmetry if the vertical force (F;; in Eqs. (19)
can be made to compensate the force of gravity. To
support a sphere of radius a and density D at z = P = 0,
we clearly need
(21)
where g is the acceleration of gravity. The rms cur-
rent for levitation is obtained from Eqs. (20) and (21),
(22)
This expression is real, and levitation is possible, when
the condition
G(x, flR)O'OO'l <0. (23)
is fulfilled.
To investigate the stability of the levitation, we con-
sider the equations of motion for small displacements
of the sample from the origin, keeping the current fixed.
Equating the net force from Eqs. (19) and (21) to the
product of mass and acceleration of the sample, we find

3103 J. Appl. Phys.• Vol. 49. No.6. June 1978 L.M. Holmes 3103

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the equations of motion
p+ w;p=O,
f' 2000
rp=O, (24) .,u
~ 1000 I-.-----"'''''=+...-L-----j
z+w;Z=O,
where we have neglected the corrections of 0(,.-2) in 0'-----+-....'--------'
Eqs. (19), and where
w~ = g(tc. ~ - O'O0!2)(- O!oO! J-l ,
w! = g(a~ + 20j,0'2)(- O!oO! 1)-1 0 (25)
For stable levitation, condition (23) together with O'------....'-----~~
o 5 10
w; > 0 and (26) Z (mm)

must be fulfilled, as the sample then will oscillate FIG. 2. Levitation with a single pair of coaxial circular loops
harmonically about the equilibrium position. with reversed currents. The radii are b! = b 2 '" 0.01 m, and the
separation is o=.f3b j •

VI. FIELD CONFIGURATION FOR STABLE

LEVITATION (which is the usual one), conditions (26) are equivalent
to
Whether a given sample can be levitated stably de-
pends first on the magnetic behavior of the material. If Q!~ -4a Oa 2 >0,
the sample is magnetic so that fJ.R » 1, G(x, fJ. R ) is neg-
a~ + 20!O0!2 > O. (28)
ative, and, from condition (23), O!OO!I must be positive if
the sample is to be supported. In this case, conditions These conditions are always satisfied when i 0!2i is suf-
(26) are, according to Eqs. (25), equivalent to ficiently small, i. e., when the field falls off almost
linearly with distance along the symmetry axis This 0

represents the desirable field configuration for stable

levitation.
(27)
These inequ~lities cannot be satisfied simultaneously; VII. NUMERICAL EXAMPLES
i. e., if the sample is stable against small displace- In this section, we give examples of the application
m~nts transverse to the symmetry axis, then it will of Eqs. (22) and (25) for levitation in simple coils of
necessarily be unstable against small displacements axial symmetry. G(x, fJ.R ) is assumed positive, but
along the axis, and vice versa. A magnetic material (de- where the results otherwise depend on material param-
fined by fJ. R » 1) cannot be levitated stably according eters, they are presented in curves on normalized
to our simple linearized theory. 15 scales, so as to be of general validity. However, ex-
If the magnetism of the material is sufficiently weak plicit numerical values are also given in the text for
that the eddy-current contribution to G(x, fJ.R ) dominates, a "standard sample", a 0,0005-kg sphere of liquid
. then G (x, fJ. R ) > 0, and, from condition (23), O!oQ! 1 must be aluminum, whose properties are approximated at the
negative if the sample is to be supported. In this case melting temperature by16,l7 fJ. R =l, T=0.242 x I0- 6 nm,
and D=2.39xI0 3 kg/m3. The standard sample is as-
sumed to be in a field of frequency 1 MHz, The calcu-
lated sample radius and skin depth are 3. 683 and
1000 r------+----j'-r------~
0,2476 mm, respectively, corresponding to x=14.87
N
and G(x, fJ. R )=0.8992.
.,U 500 1-----11:-+---------1
.!!!. A. Single turn
P For a single turn of radius b l lying in the plane at z
I
I =Zll the field hz(O,z) needed to calculate an in Eq. (6)
I is given by
(.) ::::L I~J
~b,~
1.01----"""""-c-"'1=------1
--- (29)

0.5 L -_ _ _ _.l...-_ _ _-.-J We take b1 =0.01 m. Evaluating Q!n, n=O, 1, and 2,

o 5 10 from Eq. (29), we substitute in Eqs. (22) and (25) to
Z<mml determine I Ll w~, and w;. These have been plotted in
Fig. 1 as functions of the distance Z = z - Z 1 along the
FIG. 1. Levitatiol} with a single circular current loop of symmetry axis. A narrow region of stability is found
radius b j = O. 01 m. Stable levitation is possible at those poSi-
near Z=5 mm. [One easily shows from Eq. (29) that
tions where w~ and w~ are both positive. IN and HN are nor-
malized current and normalized magnetic field for levitation, Q!2 - 0 for Z - O. 5b 1 , corresponding to Z = 5 mm in our
respectively. example.] The lower-Z limit of stability is determined

3104 J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 49, No.6, June 1978 L.M. Holmes 3104

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by w! - 0, corresponding to a maximum in (F) as a of the magnetic-flux patterns, Fromm and Jehn conclude
function of Z, and this leads, of course, to a minimum that the lateral stability will be greater m coil A than
in the current for levitation, I M =289 A for our standard in coil B, but that the vertical force on the sample will
sample. The normalized current be greater for a given current in coil B than in coil A.
In Fig. 7 of the 1965 paper in Ref. 11, the quantity
(30)
dH/ dz, which is a 1 in our notation, is plotted along the
is what we have shown in Fig. 1. The rms field strength symmetry axis. This quantity stays nearly constant in
for levitation of the sample at position z is determined the region between 2 and 4 cm on the abscissa for coil
from A, whereas for coil B it is only constant at a narrow
minimum near 0,6 cm on the abscissa. From this we
(31)
see at once according to the present analYSis that the
We define HM to be the value which HL assumes as I L stability will be greater in coil A than in coil B, and
- 1M , H M is the highest field strength for which stable this conclusion is verified in detail in the curves in
levitation is possible, and is in the present example Fig. 3. The conditions > 0 and w; w!
> 0 are simulta-
1.18 x 10 4 A/m or 149 Oe for our standard sample. The neously fulfilled in a region over 2.5 cm long on the
normalized field strength for levitation axis of coil A but less than 0.2 cm long on the axis of
coil B. For coil A, dH/dz has two additional extrema
HN =HL/HM (32)
near 1 cm on the abscissa of the curve in Ref. 11,
has also been plotted in Fig. 1. yielding two additional points of stability, as can be
seen in Fig 3. For our standard sample, we calculate
It is possible to "scale" these results for different
1M = 344 and 205 A, respectively, for coils A and B,
coil radii. At a given value of Z/bl' w!.za:
b-;l, IL ex: b~/2, and HM = 2 .16 X 10 4 and 1. 64 x 104 A/m, respectively.
and HL ex b~/2. If the radius of the loop is increased, then
Our analysis confirms that of Fromm and Jehn, there-
the necessary current and magnetic field for levitation
fore, and lends quantitative weight to their conclusions.
increase, leading to stronger inductive heating of the
sample 10 and greater Ohmic losses in the coil. At the
same time, the restoring forces for small displace-
ments of the sample from the equilibrium position be-
come smaller. These same conclusions apply qualita-
tively to multiturn coils: Smaller coils tend to provide
greater stability, heat the sample less, and require
smaller currents for levitation than larger coils.
A B
B. Single pair of turns with reversed currents SECTION THROUGH THE COILS
When more than one coaxial turn is present in the
coil, the field is evaluated by superposition of the con-
tributions from the individual turns, as given by Eqo
(29), after introducing a minus sign if the current is
reversed in a given turn A simple example is two cir-
0

cular turns of equal radius, b1 = b2 , carrying equal and

opposing current (Fig. 2). The coaxial turns are taken ~ 0
to lie in the planes at z 1 = 0 and Z2 = 15, respectively.
Choos ing 15 = V3b1 gives an extended linear region in 1500r+---
hz(O, z) midway between the two turns. We make this
choice, and we set b1 = 0.01 m, as in the previous ex- ,"1000 2
ample. The calculated values of w;,
W;, IN, and HN are 'u
Q)
Wp

shown as functions of Z = z - Zl in Figo 2. We find 1M ~ 500

=283 A and H M =0.939X104 A/m or 118 Oe for our
standard sample. The upper-Z limit of stability is de-
termined in this case by a o - 0 midway between the
turns. The oscillation frequencies w;.z
diverge at this
pOSition, and the stability against transverse displace-
ments is throughout the stable region higher than for the
single turn considered above. In addition, the length of
the stable region has been extended by 100% over that in
Fig. 1. These observations illustrate the well-known
advantages! of including a reversed turn in a levitation
coil.
2 460 2 4
DISTANCE Z ALONG COIL AXIS (em)
C. Coils A and B of Ref. 11
In their useful work, Fromm and Jehnll consider FIG. 3. Levitation with coils A and B of Ref. 11. 111e axially
theoretically two coils, labeled A and B, which we symmetric coils are shown in section to scale at the top of the
represent to scale in Fig. 3. On the basis of an analysis figure.

3105 J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 49, No.6, June 1978 L.M. Holmes 3105

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VIII. APPROXIMATIONS AND APPLICATIONS
Up to now we have considered only coils of strictly
axial symmetry, built up from coaxial circular lines
of current. Real levitation coils are often spirals of
wire or tubing, which produce magnetic fields of ap-
proximately axial symmetry. To make connection with
experiment, however, we have to decide on how to
choose the hypothetical circular currents so as to ap-
proximate the field on the axis of a real spiral coil. A
recipe for doing this is contained in Eqs (B11) of
Appendix B, where the field on the axis of a spiral coil
wound on a conical surface is derived: The circular line
of current should have the mean radius and height of the
spiral turn to be approximated. When the pitch of the
spiral is sufficiently small (cf. Figo 9), the transverse
field components may be neglected, and the formalism
developed above may be applied To this order of ap-
0
proximation it is equivalent, however, and also simpler
to calculate hz(O,z) directly from Eq. (B10), thus by
passing the intermediate step of replacing the spiral
turns by circular loops. This procedure will be followed
below. For explicit numerical evaluation, we shall con-
tinue to use the "standard sample" of aluminum, as
described in Sec. VII.
lt is worth noting explicitly that three important ap-
proximations are made in applying the formalism to
real coils.
(i) The conducting tubing is replaced by lines of cur-
rent following the center line of the tubing.
(ii) The stray field from the current leads are
ignored.
(iii) The transverse fields from the spiral turns are
ignored.
Approximation (i) is probably very good, as the tubing
diameter is almost always much smaller than the dis-
tance from the tubing to the sample. Approximations
(ii) and (iii) are probably equally bad, and should be
borne in mind in case serious discrepancies with experi-
ment crop up. The stray and transverse fieldS can be
minimized, however, by careful design of the coils, and
the application below of our formalism to the practical
coils of Ref. 18 suggests that the axial approximation
successfully reproduces the essential features of the
observations on those coils.
A. Coil A of Ref. 11
The spiral current line sketched on the right-hand
side of Fig. 4 approximates the coil of circular cur-
rent loops referred to as coil A in Ref. 11 (cf. Fig.
3) and might be chosen as the basis for a physical
realization of this coil. The lower section is assumed
to be wound with constant pitch, d = 1. 118 cm, on a cone
of semiangle 8""26.565°. The mean radius and height
of each turn are the same, then, as the radius and
height of each circular loop in coil A. The reverse
turn also satisfies this requirement, and is assumed
for simplicity to be wound on a cylindrical surface (i.e.,
8 = 0°). The theoretical approximations to the behavior
of the coil, which we summarize in the curves in Fig.
4, have been obtained by evaluating an from h)O,z) in
3106 J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 49, No.6, June 1978
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Eqo (B10), and substituting as before in Eqs. (22),
(25), and (31) to determine l L , w~, w!, and H L • Com-
paring Fig. 4 with Fig. 3, we see that the pronounced
oscillations in the curves near 1 cm on the abscissa
have disappeared in the spi.ral approximation. In the
region of stable levitation between 2 and 4.5 cm, how-
ever, the two sets of curves are for practical purposes
identical, and we find also 111 =347 A and H M ",,2.06X10 4
A 1m, values close to those derived for coil A in Sec.
0
VII, for the standard sample of aluminum.
For this coil the pitch, d = 1.118 cm, is larger than
one would want in a practical coil of this size. We have
used this value only to make direct connection wi.th the
analysis of Sec. VII. The results demonstrate the es-
sential equivalence of the two theoretical approaches in
the axial approximation.
B. Coils of Ref. 18
In Ref. 18 two coils are described which were used
successfully in levitating various metal samples under
vacuum. Our spiral apprOXimations to these coils are
sketched to scale in Fig. 5. (The tubing diameter,
however, is not shown to scale.) The reverse turn is
shown as a circle in Ref. 18, but approximated by a
spiral in our treatment. In calculating hz (0, z), the plane
loop is approximated by two half-turns: (i) a half-circle
(i. e., d« ao ; 8 = - 90°) extending from cp:= 0 to cp = 180°
in the notation of Appendix Band (ii) a spiral loop with
8 = - 90° connecting from cp:= 180° to the beginning of the
two turns on the 8"" 25° COne. The numerical dimensions
can be found in Ref. 18.
The theoretical curves (Fig. 5) in the axial approxi-
mation show that coil (b) provides somewhat higher
lateral stability than coil (a), but that the range of
stability along the z axis is only 4 mm long in coil (b),
which was named the "minicoil" in Ref. 18, as com-
pared to 6.5 mm in coil (a). For our standard sample,
we find 1m = 71 and 34 A, respectively, for coils (a) and
(b), and HM=0.99X104 and 0.76x10 4 Aim, respectively.
The significance of these figures is that the minicoil
can be used to levitate samples which are too small to be
levitated in coil (a). {ThiS follows from Eqo (22) for
1L' The current for levitation varies as [G(x, ilR )]-1/2,
~:~
\~
z'Z--~·l./
t
"
\
\
--..,,'___
! I
,
\
\ /
lem
o~--~--~~--~
o 2 4 6
FIG. 4. Spiral apprOximation to coil A of Ref. 11. Curves
are derived neglecting the nonaxial field components.
L.M. Holmes 3106
and G(x,JJ.R)-O as the sample radius -0. There is
therefore a lower bound 19 on the size of the sample
which can be levitated, since the current cannot be
increased without limit. If the maximum available cur-
rent is I', then the minimum value of G (x, JJ.R) for
levitation varies as (lM/I'F for a given material. Putting o I-------'~-"'~---l-"~-----"~
in numerical values we find that, for example, with I'
0::
= 75 A at 1 MHz, down to 19 mg of liquid aluminum can, ::l
in principle, be levitated in coil (a) and down to 0.7
mg in the mini coil. Of course, I' may, in practice,
be different for the two coils.} This agrees with the -1
observations in ReL 18, where the coils were used in
vacuum-evaporation studies on various metals, in-
cluding aluminum. For coil (a), starting masses of the
samples were between 1 g and 100 mg, and the charges
became unstable after the mass had dropped to between
10 100
50 and 10 mg, depending on the metal levitated. Coil
(b) was used for evaporating samples with masses be-
tween 100 and 3 mg at the start of the run. Our axial FIG. 6. The function G <X, PR) of Eq. (A2) as a function of the
approximation seems, therefore, to provide a reason- relative permeability PR. Numbers in parentheses give the
able description of the behavior of these practical coils. value of x at PR= 1.

IX. CONCLUSION
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Stability criteria for the electromagnetic levitation
of small metal samples have been derived for coils of The author is indebted to Professor G. Busch for his
axial symmetry. The criteria are always satisfied for interest in this project and to the Schweizerischer
levitated nonmagnetic samples in regions of constant Nationalfonds for financial support.
field gradient on the coil axis. The levitation equations
have been applied to hypothetical model coils of high APPENDIX A: THE FUNCTION G(x, iJ.R)
symmetry and as an approximation to the behavior in The function G(x, Il R ) introduced in Eq. (10) may be
real spiral coils. The results demonstrate the applica- obtained from Eq. (7) in Sec. 11. 05 of Smythe's book, 13
bility of the analysis in practical situations 0
on replacing the permeability J.l by J.l R to convert to
mks units and identifying the quantity (p)1 /2a in
Smythe's treatment with (2)1/2X in our Eq. (11). The
resulting expression is lengthy. We define
: 2 A=2x(cosh2x- cos2x) + (J.l R -1)(sinh2x - sin2x),
3000Qffi
I UJ'. Wp2 .
(AI)
N'u 2000 r B = (cosh2x - cos2x) - x(sinh2x + sin2x).
~ 1000 - I
, Then the required expression may be written
o
G( ) -1 _ 3 (J.lR _1)B2 + x2(sinh2x - sin2x)A

:['Bj,l
(A2)
x,J.lR - J.lR (J.lR-1)2B2+X2A2

....~.... , which reduces, for J.lR = 1, to

00 5 10 15
Z(mm) G(x 1)=1- ~ sinh2x-sin2x (A3)
, 4x sinh2 x + sin2x
(0)
as given in Ref. 1. G(x, 1) is non-negative and takes
on values between zero in the low-frequency limit,

'::L~'j
G (x - 0,1) = 0, and unity in the high-frequency limit,
u Wp G(x- 00,1) = 1. The parameter x itself depends on J.lR
~ 1000 - through Eqso (11) and (12). It is convenient to define Xo
o to be the value which x assumes at IlR = 1 ,
2 \ . , I
\/~o xo= (x)I'R=1° (A4)

The function G(x, J.lR) is plotted in Fig. 6 as a function

5 10
Z(mm)
of the relative permeability for representative values
(b) of Xoo The function reverses sign at a critical value of
J.lR = J.l~c), as the contributions of the bulk magnetization
to the effective dipole moment counterbalance those
FIG. 5. Coils (a) and (b) of Ref. 18, analyzed in the axial from the eddy currents. At this point the levitation be-
approximation. Planar loops are at z = o. comes unstable according to our treatment. We show

3107 J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 49, No.6, June 1978 L.M. Holmes 3107

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-2.0 100 with

50
-1.5 and
20
(B6)
-1.0 10
ds~ = (acoscp + aab sincp)dcp,
5 or
-0.5
2 (B7)

0
0 5 10 where cp' is the value of cp at the end of the coil and t is
z/ ao' With the substitution

FIG. 7. Critical value Il}f) of permeability for which G(x,IlR) ~ = 1 + bcp, (B8)
reverses sign and logarithmic slope S of G(x,IlR) at f.lR= 1 as this becomes
functions of xo, the value of x at f.lR = 1.

Jl~C) as a function of Xo in Fig. 7, together with the

logarithmic slope of G(x, JlR ) at Jl R = 1,

s-(!.. dG)
- G dJlR "R=!'
Recalling that I JlR - 11 < 10- 3 typically for nonmagnetic
metals ,20 we see that the approximation JlR = 1 is satis-
factory in many cases. For materials which become
ferromagnetic, Jl R diverges at the Curie temperature
T c' Putting in typical values of Jl R , we find that such
materials can, in principle, be levitated stably at tem-
peratures down to a fraction of a Kelvin above T c'
providing Xo ;;:;- 2.
APPENDIX B: THE CONICAL HELIX
We wish to extend the treatment of Smythe13 (Sec.
7.08) to the problem of a coil wound on the surface of a
cone having semiangle e[Fig. 8(a)]. The center of the
wire or tubing used to wind the coil follows the curve
defined by
x'=acoscp, y'=asincp, z'=aoccp,
(A5) (B9)
which may be evaluated with the help of partial integra-
tion and using standard tables of integrals. After con-
siderable algebra the result reduces to the expression
h~(O,z)= 2~ (cosV32+ 8)-cosV3 1 + e)± sin 2 8
Xlo r2[1±coS(132-
g r 1 1 ± COSV3 1 - e») ,
e») (BI0)
where 13 1 and 132 are the angles between the axis of the
solenoid and the vectors drawn from the field point
(O,z) to the extreme ends of the wire, and r 1 and r 2 are
the lengths of those vectors [Fig. 8(b»). Where a choice
of algebraic sign appears in Eq. (BI0), the positive
sign is to be chosen when sinB? 0 and the negative sign
otherwise.
The coil does not have axial symmetry. To calculate
the transverse components of the field on the z axis,
(Bl) we use expressions for hx(O,z) and hy(O,z) analogous 21

where cp is the cylindrical angle coordinate measured in

z z
the x-y plane. We take cp == 0 at the beginning of the coil,
and note that a is the radius at any particular value of \ <I> =<1>'
I
cpo To generate the desired curve, we let
a=aa(l +bcp), (B2)
with
x x
b = (21T)-1 (d/ aa) sin e,

c = (21T )-1 (d/ ao) cos 8. (B3)

" x = Qo.<I> =0
" x=oo,<I>=O

As cp increases by 21T, Z' increases, then, by deosB,

and the radius increases by dsine, The quantity d is the
(a) (b)
pitch measured on the surface of the cone.
The z component of the magnetic field at the z axis
when a current of 1 A flows in the coil is FIG. 8. (a) Sketch of a spiral on the surface of a cone of semi-
angle 8. (b) Defining the vector r 1 from the field point on the
axis to the start of the spiral at cp = 0 and the angle {31 between
rl and the z axis. The vector r 2 and the angle /32 are defined
(B4)
analogously for the end of the spiral at cp = cpt.

3108 J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 49, No.6, June 1978 L.M. Holmes 3108

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 ly. The expression for h;l)(O,Z) is equivalent to Eq.
(29). For moderate values of z -z, Le"
z
/z -z/::;: a, (B14)
~rdCOSe
x which are met in practical coil design, the ratio of
-1-1 transverse to axial field components is therefore of the
(0) a _-I:
0/
t-- d Sin e order of magnitude of b or c for the individual turns.
N -0.1
.s , • ......... (71"/4) This is illustrated in Fig. 9, where h!l)(O,Z) and
=£ 0 \, -::--... e". and h;l)(O,Z) from Eqs. (B11) are plotted on normalized
......
N ,,
\(71"12) coordinates for (d/27T(1o) = 0,1 and for representative
values of e.
=-:
6
0.1 ,,
-.<:

0.2 '------.L_--'-.._ _--L_--'-..~

,
3 2 o -1 -2 -3
(z-z)/Ci

IE. C. Okress, D. M. Wroughton, G. Comenetz, P. H. Brace,

FIG. 9. Illustrating the axial and transverse components from
and J. C.R. Kelly, J. Appl. Phys. 23, 545 (1952).
Eqs. (B11) of the magnetic field from a single spiral turn of 20. Muck, German Pat. 422004, Oct. 30, 1923, as cited in
a z
average radius at height z = for (d/2rrao) = 0.1. The values
Ref. 4.
of the cone semi angle () are given in parentheses.
3A.E. Jenkins, B. Harris, and L. Baker, Met. Soc. AIME
Conf. 22, 23 (1964).
4W.A. Peifer, J. Met. 17, 487 (1965).
to Eq. (B4) for h.(O,z). It turns out that these expres- 5A.J. Rostron, Sci. J. 3(No. 7). 69 (1967).
sions cannot be integrated in closed form. To estimate 6A. McLean, High Temp. -High Pressures 6, 21 (1974).
the order of magnitude of the transverse fields, we TD. W. Gomersall, S. Y. Shiraishi, and R. G. Ward, J. Aust.
Inst. Met. 17, 487 (1965).
therefore consider a single turn (Fig. 9) and evaluate 8J.C. Lewis, H.R.J. Neumayer, andR.G. Ward, J. Sci.
the field under the assumption that d cos e and d sine are Instrum. 39, 569 (1962).
small compared to Go. The integrands may then be 9P.R. Rony, Lawrence Radiation Lab., UCRL Report No.
developed as power series in bcp and ccp, and integrated, 11411, 1964 (unpublished).
giving to first order in band c, IDE. Fromm and H. Jehn, Br. J. Appl. Phys. 16, 653 (1965).
11E. Fromm and H. Jehn, Z. Metallkd. 56, 599 (1965); 58,
h;l)(O,z) =0, 366 (1967).
12Reference 13, p. 388.
hCl)(O z)=h(l)(O, z)
y' z,
[b(Z~Z)(3tr-r)
a :yz
13W. R. Smythe, Static and Dynamic Electricity (McGraw-Hill,
New York, 1939).
14J.D. Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics (Wiley, New York,
_c(3(Z _~2_r)]. (Bll) 1962), Sec. 6.2.
15A ferromagnetic body may be levitated magnetically if a
feedback system is used to trim the current so as to keep
the body fixed in space. See, for example, J. W. Beams,
C.W. Hulburt, W.E. Lotz, Jr., andR.M. Montague, Jr.,
Rev. Sci. Instrum. 26, 1181 (1955).
where 16G. Busch and H.·-J. Glintherodt, Solid state Phys. 29, 235
(1974).
(B12) ITHandbook of Chemistry and Physics, 56th ed., edited by R. C.
Weast (Chemical Rubber Co., Cleveland, 1975), p. B-239.
and where the quantities 18J. Van Audenhove, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 36, 383 (1965).
19For liquid samples the sample radius must also be greater
a= a o(1 + 7T b ) , than the skin depth to prevent dripping of the liquid, according
(B13) to E. G. Price, as quoted in· Ref. 3.
2oE. Ha.IUm, Electromagnetic Theory (Chapman and Hall,
London, 1962), p. 144.
are the mean radius and height of the turn, respective- 21Reference 13, p. 273.

3109 J. App1. Phys., Vo1. 49, No.6, June 1978 L.M. Holmes 3109

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