An Introduction to Thermal Physics · Problem 4.35

Engines and Refrigerators — Daniel Schroeder

Physics — Statistical Mechanics · magnetic-cooling-dipole-field

Problem

The magnetic field created by a dipole has a strength of approximately (μ04π)(μr3)\left(\frac{\mu_0}{4\pi}\right)\left(\frac{\mu}{r^3}\right), where rr is the distance from the dipole and μ0\mu_0 is the ``permeability of free space,'' equal to exactly 4π×10−74\pi \times 10^{-7} in SI units. (In the formula I'm neglecting the variation of field strength with angle, which is at most a factor of 2.) Consider a paramagnetic salt like iron ammonium alum, in which the magnetic moment μ\mu of each dipole is approximately one Bohr magneton (9×10−249 \times 10^{-24} J/T), with the dipoles separated by a distance of 1 nm. Assume that the dipoles interact only via ordinary magnetic forces. ((a)) Estimate the strength of the magnetic field at the location of a dipole, due to its neighboring dipoles. This is the effective field strength even when there is no externally applied field. ((b)) If a magnetic cooling experiment using this material begins with an external field strength of 1 T, by about what factor will the temperature decrease when the external field is turned off? ((c)) Estimate the temperature at which the entropy of this material rises most steeply as a function of temperature, in the absence of an externally applied field. ((d)) If the final temperature in a cooling experiment is significantly less than the temperature you found in part (c), the material ends up in a state where ∂S/∂T\partial S/\partial T is very small and therefore its heat capacity is very small. Explain why it would be impractical to try to reach such a low temperature with this material.

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