Re: starship-design: Re: magnetic monopoles

[Zenon Kulpa <zkulpa@zmit1.ippt.gov.pl>]

> From: kyle <stk@sunherald.infi.net>
> 
> Timothy van der Linden wrote:
> > 
> > Kyle,
> > 
> > >Do not worry, fellow starship designers. I will make little input from
> > >here on out. I have found another group that appreciates my input
> > >better. No offense to anyone.
> > 
> > Well, you owe us a message as soon as your magnetic monopole definately
> > turns out to be a fake or a hit.
> > 
> Since the magnetic lines aren't broken, I suppose its not a monopole. I
> preffer not to call it a fake, as that would imply that I tried to fool
> people, and make me look stupid. 
> I simply call it a failed expiriment.
>
OK, let us not call it a fake...

> It does put out all north fields (outside), but if this doesn't count as
> monopolar, I give up.
> 
It cannod be called monopole, as it has two poles,
that are not physically separated. 
Timothy shown its possible construction
in his drawing, repeated below in modified form:
    _   _    _   _    _
   / \ / \  / \ / \  /  etc..
      |   ||   |   || 
    ++N++ || ++N++ ||
    + | + || + | + ||
    + ^ + vv + ^ + vv
    + | + || + | + ||
    ++S++ || ++S++ ||
      |   ||   |   ||
   \_/ \_/  \_/ \_/  \_ etc...

If you fold it into a sphere, with all south poles
at the center and north poles on the surface,
the north poles of the constituting magnets would be 
put out outside, and the south poles completely
hidden inside the sphere - or so it seems... 
However, in a magnet there are no special physical points 
that can be called a "pole" at which the objects attracted 
by a magnet stop and go no further (as it goes with electrical 
charge). The poles are only convenient names of the parts
of the magnets to/from which the lines of force go,
the name of the pole being determined by the direction
of the lines of force at this region.
[Note that outside the magnet the lines go N->S,
whereas inside it - in the opposite direction S->N]
In the construction above, the lines of force of the field 
go out of north poles, then bend back into the surface
of the sphere to join the south poles in the center.
Where they are dipping into the surface of the sphere,
they go in OPPOSITE direction than at the sticking-out
north poles, hence their direction defines at these spots 
SOUTH poles on the surface of the sphere.
Hence, the surface of the sphere such constructed appears 
as a mosaic of north and south poles, as follows:

      N    S   N    S
    _   _    _   _    _
   / \ / \  / \ / \  /  etc...
      ^   vv   ^   vv 
    ++N++ || ++N++ ||
    + | + || + | + ||


This is neatly confirmed by the behaviour of your testing magnet,
to quote from your earlier letter:

> Date: Tue, 15 Jul 1997 15:58:02 -0700
> From: kyle <stk@sunherald.infi.net>
> 
> [...] I tried testing it with another permanent magnet, which
> quickly began to vibrate, and tried to switch sides. (N/S)
> 

As was pointed out by Timothy, you just cannot
construct a monopole from dipoles 
(possibly, unless you can severely warp the space itself...).

-- Zenon


PS. Concerning scientists, professionals, and amateurs:
    The though experiment and analysis done above is just what 
    should be made by a scientist (or professional) BEFORE he/she
    goes into the open announcing the discovery of some as yet
    unknown effect or device (like a monopole).
    If one announces the discovery BEFORE making thorough
    mental analysis and experimental testing (also followed
    by thorough analysis, interpretation, and explanation
    of the obtained results), he/she is an amateur.
    And when he/she at the same time claims it to be scientific
    fact (wrongly suppressed by "hard scientists") - 
    he/she is a pseudoscientist. 
    Hope it helps.  -- Z