May 12, 2015

The weakest magnetic field in the solar system




Record-breaking magnetic shielding for high-precision experiments

(May 12, 2015)  Magnetic fields easily penetrate matter. Creating a space practically devoid of magnetic fields thus presents a great challenge. An international team of physicists has now developed a shielding that dampens low frequency magnetic fields more than a million-fold. Using this mechanism, they have created a space that boasts the weakest magnetic field of our solar system. The physicists now intend to carry out precision experiments there.

Magnetic fields exist everywhere in the universe. Here on the Earth, we are permanently exposed to both natural and artificial magnetic fields. In Central Europe the Earth’s ever-present magnetic field measures 48 microtesla. On top of this come local magnetic fields generated by transformers, motors, cranes, metal doors and the like.

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