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Focus

Magnetic Field Flips Miniature Origami

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Physics 4, 93 (2011) – Published November 11, 2011
An improved version of a technique for folding tiny objects from a thin membrane uses a magnetic field to affect the shape. The membrane wraps around a droplet of fluid that distorts in response to the field.
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Liquid Magnet: Stirred, not Shaken

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Phys. Rev. Focus 27, 17 (2011) – Published April 29, 2011
Liquid sodium agitated gently in a rotating tank can significantly amplify a magnetic field. The experiment is the first step toward demonstrating a self-sustaining field in a low-turbulence fluid, which may be analogous to Earth’s core.
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Liquid Metal Stirs Itself

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Phys. Rev. Focus 25, 8 (2010) – Published March 5, 2010
Heat and a magnetic field cause liquid lithium to swirl rapidly, an effect that could be useful in fusion reactors.
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Molten Metal Magnet

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Phys. Rev. Focus 19, 3 (2007) – Published January 30, 2007
A tank of stirred liquid sodium generates a magnetic field even though it’s highly turbulent–a condition closer to real dynamos in planets, stars, and galaxies, but harder to simulate in the lab.