Magnetic Fields

Magnetism in the News
Magnetism Activities

Magnetic field lines describe the structure of magnetic fields in three dimensions. A compass needle will always try to point along a field line. Lines close together represent strong magnetic forces, and weak forces are represented as lines further apart. The figure on the left shows the field lines around a bar magnet.

In space, charged particles tend to become attached to magnetic field lines, spiraling around them while sliding along them, like beads on a wire. Because of this attachment, the behavior of energetic particles in space is dictated by the structure of field lines. Magnetic field lines are frozen into plasmas and move as the plasmas move.

In the image on the left, arrows show the field lines of the magnetic field around a bar magnet.

Back to Basics

February 10, 2009: How magnetic forces shape cosmic jets of matter streaming out of stars -- Science Daily
January 17, 2009: Our magnetic Moon -- Astrobiology
January 14, 2009: Attractive theory: Magnetized Moon rock offers clue to lunar origin -- Scientific American
January 7, 2009: The Galactic core in infrared -- APOD
November 14, 2008: XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL clues on magnetic powerhouses -- ESA
October 30, 2008: Magnetic fields record the early histories of planets -- MIT
October 25, 2008: Investigation of changes in properties of water under the action of a magnetic field -- Eurekalert
October 20, 2008: Caltech geobiologists discover unique "magnetic death star" fossil -- Caltech
October 1, 2008: Young galaxy's magnetism surprises astronomers -- NRAO
October 1, 2008: Zooming way in, technique offers close-ups of electrons, nuclei -- Eurekalert
August 25, 2008: 'Magnetic cows' are visible from space -- Nature
August 22, 2008: Active Galaxy NGC 1275 -- APOD
July 23, 2008: Magnetic fields stronger than expected -- Astronomy.com
July 19, 2008: Early galaxies had magnetic fields as strong as today's -- New Scientist
July 16, 2008: Galaxies' mysterious magnetic fields grew up fast -- Scientific American
July 2, 2008: Who knew? Solar system is 'dented', not round -- CNN
June 9, 2008: Magnetic sensor that brooks no interference -- Science Daily
June 7, 2008: Can a wormhole generate its own magnetic field? -- Universe Today
May 27, 2008: Hold the old lace: Arsenic and iron material is a remarkable superconductor -- NSF
May 8, 2008: Joint ESA/NASA team wins international award -- ESA
April 27, 2008: The Galactic Center Radio Arc -- APOD
April 23, 2008: Radio telescope reveals secrets of massive black hole -- NRAO
April 23, 2008: Black hole plasma jet reveals twisted magnetic fields -- New Scientist
April 8, 2008: New probe measures magnetic fields inside solids -- Physics World
April 2, 2008: Bon MOT: Innovative atom trap catches highly magnetic atoms -- Eurekalert
March 13, 2008: Japanese satellite first to use magnetic memory -- Scientific American
March 3, 2008: Particle collider's last big piece set -- National Geographic
February 28, 2008: Magnetic atoms of gold, silver and copper have been obtained -- Basque Research
January 31, 2008: New discovery on magnetic reconnection to impact future space missions -- Science Daily
January 10, 2008: Centaurus A exposed -- Astronomy.com
January 8, 2008: For remote-control cells, just add magnets -- Scientific American
January 2, 2008: Biomedical engineering study demonstrates the healing value of magnets -- University of Virginia
December 20, 2007: Experiments unraveled dynamic core movements of magnetic swirls -- Science Daily
December 18, 2007: Metal foam has a good memory -- NSF
October 31, 2007: Let there be light: New magnet design continues magnet lab's tradition of innovation -- Eurekalert
September 25, 2007: Do migratory birds 'see' the magnetic field? -- Eurekalert
August 10, 2007: What makes Mars magnetic? -- Eurekalert
July 5, 2007: Chickens also orient themselves by the Earth's magnetic field -- Eurekalert
July 3, 2007: A simple magnet can control the color of a liquid, making new technologies possible -- Eurekalert
May 16, 2005: Solar flares may beach whales -- Australian Broadcasting Company
January 12, 2005: NYU physicist isolates first source -- EurekAlert!
November 19, 2004: Repelling cosmic rays with magnetic bubbles -- New Scientist
April 29, 2004: Scientists announce cosmic ray theory breakthrough -- Los Alamos National Laboratory
November 11, 2003: Solar flare 'reproduced' in lab -- BBC News
May 28, 2003: RHESSI uncovers secret to cataclysmic explosions known as gamma-ray bursts -- UC Berkeley News
January 31, 2003: America marks 45th anniversary of first space satellite -- SpaceRef.com
January 16, 2003: Burping Moon may solve magnetism mystery --Australian Broadcasting Corporation
November 18, 2002: First 3-D magnetic reconnection measurements -- SpaceDaily
November 7, 2002: UC Berkeley analysis of satellite data turns up first direct evidence that magnetic processes in space can accelerate electrons to near light speed -- UC Berkeley
November 4, 2002: Scientists measure the most powerful magnet known -- NASA GSFC
November 2, 2002: Magnetism shapes beauty in the heavens -- Spaceflight Now
September 11, 2002: Rare class of exotic stars revealed as super-magnets -- NASA GSFC
August 23, 2002: Amazing magnetic fluids -- Science@NASA
June 10, 2002: Composition and charge state structure of magnetic clouds -- ACE News
June 6, 2002: Do hammerheads follow magnetic highways in migration? -- National Geographic
May 23, 2002: Physicists build ultrasensitive magnetic sensors -- University of Chicago
May 16, 2002: Our conscious mind could be an electromagnetic field -- UniSci
May 15, 2002: Sowing seeds in a magnetic field -- Science@NASA
March 26, 2002: Record-breaking magnet has five-tesla field -- CERN Courier
March 11, 2002: UK scientists show that hydrogen transmits magnetism -- UniSci
March 6, 2002: NASA's FUSE satellite lit again -- NASA GSFC
February 4, 2002: Researchers develop world's first light-tunable "plastic" magnet -- Ohio State University
January 9, 2002: Possible origin of magnetic fields in space uncovered -- UniSci
January 8, 2002: Magnetic 'bubbles' may be key force in galaxy clusters -- Ohio University
January 8, 2002: Magnetic 'bubbles' may be key force in galaxy clusters -- Eurekalert
November 13, 2001: Old 'surfatron' concept might apply to cosmic rays -- UniSci
October 3, 2001: New model of intergalactic magnetic fields -- Physics News Update
July 25, 2001: Satellite spies magnetic 'rubber band' -- CNN
July 12, 2001: Magnetic fields weave rings around stars -- STScI
July 5, 2001: World record magnet 300,000 times strength of Earth's magnetic field -- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
April 17, 2000: Magnetic 'bubble' in distant galaxy -- BBC News
March 23, 1999: Nanomagnets could store computer data -- Cornell University
November 30, 1998: How much do field lines mix in the solar wind? -- ACE News
October 22, 1998: Scientists to explore what they know about space weather -- NASA MSFC press release
October 21, 1998: The case of the missing aurora -- APOD

Grades 7 - 9: A Soda Bottle Magnetometer -- NASA IMAGE