An Investigation into Complex Systems of Magnetic Particles Exposed to External Fields
Open Access
Author:
Zola, James
Area of Honors:
Mechanical Engineering
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Paris R Vonlockette, Thesis Supervisor Margaret Louise Byron, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
active particles magnets neuromorphic materials complex systems emergent behavior
Abstract:
Understanding the collective motion of magnetic particles has become of interest in recent years because of their potential applications in targeted drug delivery, manipulation of material properties, and heat production. Current models mostly consider collective behavior driven by fluid flow induced by particle-fluid interaction. This thesis attempts to investigate the role of interparticle dipole interactions in collective behavior of magnetic particles, expanding a mathematical model of particle dynamics to simulate grids of rotating magnetic particles in an applied field. Simulations are run for different frequencies and magnitudes of the applied field to investigate the effect of these parameters on the behavior of the system. Additionally, a physical model is constructed and tested to corroborate the results of the simulation. Because of the ability of the system to retain information about past stimuli, magnetic particle arrays are of potential interest in neuromorphic materials, which adapt their properties based on prior input.
