- For thirty years, scientists have the idea that it is possible to make “focused donuts” of “electromagnetic” not topologically different from vortex rings that occur naturally in air and water.
- Now, a new study has created a machine to do just that, by creating an instantaneous pressure difference that creates turbulence over long distances.
- While the electric cannon is amazing in itself, this breakthrough could have implications for wireless communication, as well as improved detection and detection technologies.
Vortices are a very common phenomenon in nature. They happen when the jet something it creates a frictional force that causes the sides of the surrounding matter—whether gas or liquid—to slow down and curve inward, forming a circle. The strong action of jellyfish and squid, for example, can create these types of waves (and the popular children’s game called “Airzooka” achieves the same phenomenon).
For about 30 years, scientists have the idea that such chaos is possible in the field of electromagnetism. In 1996, RW Hellwarth and P. Nouchi theorized that “concentrated donuts” of electromagnetic radiation could be spread in free space, but they did not know how to trigger such an event.
Now, scientists from the University of Electronic Science and Technology in China, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and the University of Southampton in the UK think they have solved the puzzle. According to a survey published last month in the newspaper Reviews of Applied Physicsthe group has developed a polarized conical horn antenna, otherwise known as an “electromagnetic cannon”.
The concept is complex, but the researchers say their cannons are capable of producing waves with skyrmion topological structures – sometimes called “subatomic storms.”
“The principle involves using an ultra-wideband, radially polarized, conical coaxial horn antenna to create a rotating electromagnetic wave structure,” the scientists said in a press statement. “When the horn emits, it produces an immediate difference in pressure that creates these vortex rings, which maintain their shape and strength over long distances. The unique feature of this method is its ability to generate electric currents of with complex superstructures, such as skyrmions, that exhibit incredible self-healing powers during deployment.”
So, why make an electromagnetic vortex cannon? While the name of the device seems to answer that question, the device also comes with other practical benefits beyond blasting some sick electromagnetic vortex rings. For one, they provide a new way to encode and transmit data, because the characteristics of the spectra and polarization of the ring can carry more information than your average wave. However, their greatest use may be in the field of metrology—the science of measurement, detection and recognition.
“[The Vortex’s] The ability to maintain structural integrity despite environmental disturbance makes them valuable tools for detection and target recognition,” the scientists said in a press release. “By analyzing the mechanisms that “With the unique nature of these vortex waves, we can create accurate and reliable ways to find and locate objects, whether in security systems or space exploration.”
For thirty years, scientists have been pondering whether such electric currents are possible. Now that we have them, the next step is to think about what to do with them. And now, the possibilities are growing.
Darren lives in Portland, has a cat, and writes/edits about sci-fi and how our world works. You can find his past stuff on Gizmodo and Paste if you look hard enough.
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