Superconducting Magnetic Levitation (MagLev) on a Magnetic Track

As featured on the Nov. 9 2011episode of the Colbert Report!
From the Low Temperature Lab: A flux-pinning enhanced superconducting puck levitates above and is pinned to a magnetic figure-8 track. This demonstrates the quantum physical effect of superconductivity and the Meissner Effect as well as magnetic flux pinning. The puck is accelerated using the motors from a toy car track set. See more at our website: http://www.ithaca.edu/hs/depts/physics/facstaff/mcsullivan/ and our paper here: http://arxiv.org/abs/0803.3090

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Superconductor
• Superconductivity
• Meissner Effect
• Levitation
• YBCO
• HTSC
• Ithaca College
• Ithaca College Physics
• Magnetic Track

[9144386]

how much did this cost?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@9144386 The costs are listed in our paper, linked in the description. The only problem is the cheap superconductors we used are no longer accessible.

[skdkskdk]

@IthacaCollegePhysics Please don't be so cryptic, what happened to the cheap superconductors?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@skdkskdk The company stopped making them; I don't know why. The only place I can find now is a place in Germany that sells them for about $700 each.

[DeadlyRudy]

@IthacaCollegePhysics

And can You tell me how much did it cost before 'some place in Germany' sell it for $700 now ?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@DeadlyRudy The costs are all in the paper linked in the description. We bought our superconductor for $125 from SCI Engineered Materials. The company in Germany that makes them now is called Evico.

[ayoopdog]

NOOOOOO

[ErleifProductions]

make one with part of the track upside down!

[eleithias]

Why do people keep thinking this will kill the oil industry? I want them to die more than anyone else, but quantum levitation doesn't make you go. By reducing friction it should make things much more efficient, assuming we could turn all our roads into rare earth magnets.

Chances are the electricity for that toy car accelerator is coming from coal or oil....

[HarryTheMiner]

Haha

NOOOOOO! Lol

[candon1972]

Kill the oil industri!.. magnetic:) 

[BAYTOWNTEX]

take away the motor and try to figure out how to make it not loose energy between the joints, or can you have one long magnet with no joints

[ItaloBarret]

hotwheels

[simplemusician]

LOL 1:07

[megalomania345]

MOM! I want a Superconducting Magnetic train for christmas!