Briefly describe the Meissner effect.

Short Answer

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Question: Briefly describe the Meissner effect in superconductors. Answer: The Meissner effect is a phenomenon observed in superconductors, where they expel all magnetic fields from their interior when transitioning to their superconducting state below the critical temperature. This occurs due to the generation of a surface current that creates an opposing magnetic field, effectively canceling out any magnetic field within the superconductor. It demonstrates the unique properties of superconductors and their distinction from regular conductors.

Step by step solution

01

Define Superconductor

A superconductor is a material that has zero electrical resistance and expels all magnetic fields from its interior when cooled below a certain temperature called the critical temperature.
02

Explain the Meissner Effect

The Meissner effect is a phenomenon observed in superconductors, where a superconductor will expel all magnetic fields from its interior as it transitions to its superconducting state below the critical temperature. This occurs because the superconductor generates a surface current that creates a magnetic field opposite to the applied external magnetic field, which effectively cancels out any magnetic field within the superconductor body.
03

Describe the Importance of the Meissner Effect

The Meissner effect is critical in demonstrating the unique properties of superconductors and differentiating them from regular conductors. This phenomenon demonstrates that a superconductor in its superconducting state essentially becomes a perfect diamagnetic material, where it completely excludes magnetic fields from its interior.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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It is possible to express the magnetic susceptibility \(\chi_{m}\) in several different units. For the discussion in this chapter, \(\chi_{m}\) is used to designate the volume susceptibility in SI units-that is, the quantity that gives the magnetization per unit volume \(\left(\mathrm{m}^{3}\right)\) of material when multiplied by \(H\). The mass susceptibility \(\chi_{m}(\mathrm{~kg})\) yields the magnetic moment (or magnetization) per kilogram of material when multiplied by \(H\); similarly, the atomic susceptibility \(\chi_{m}\) (a) gives the magnetization per kilogram-mole. The last two quantities are related to \(\chi_{m}\) through the following relationships: $$ \begin{aligned} &\chi_{m}=\chi_{m}(\mathrm{~kg}) \times \text { mass density }\left(\text { in } \mathrm{kg} / \mathrm{m}^{3}\right) \\ &\chi_{m}(a)=\chi_{m}(\mathrm{~kg}) \times \text { atomic weight }(\text { in } \mathrm{kg}) \end{aligned} $$ When using the cgs-emu system, comparable parameters exist that may be designated by \(\chi_{m}^{\prime}\), \(\chi_{m}^{\prime}(\mathrm{g})\), and \(\chi_{m}^{\prime}(a) ;\) the \(\chi_{m}\) and \(\chi_{m}^{\prime}\) are related in accordance with Table 20.1. From Table 20.2, \(\chi_{m}\) for copper is \(-0.96 \times 10^{-5}\); convert this value into the other five susceptibilities.

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