A team of researchers from Russia, Germany and Japan proposes to use specialized superconducting foam in space developments.
Superconductors are materials whose electrical resistance disappears when the temperature drops to a certain value. Typically, the dimensions of superconductors are limited to 1–2 cm. A larger sample may crack or lose its properties, making it unsuitable for use. This problem was solved by the creation of superconducting foam, which consists of empty pores surrounded by a superconductor.
The use of foam makes it possible to form superconductors of almost any size and shape. But the properties of such a material have not been fully studied. Now an international team of scientists has proven that a large sample of superconducting foam has a stable magnetic field.
The Federal Research Center “Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences” (FRC KSC SB RAS) spoke about the work performed. Experts have found that large samples of superconducting foam have a stable, uniform and fairly strong magnetic field that extends from all sides of the material. This allows it to exhibit the same properties as conventional superconductors.
This opens up new areas of application for this material. For example, the foam could be used in docking devices for spacecraft and satellites: by manipulating the magnetic field in the superconductor, docking, docking, and repulsion can be controlled.
“Due to the field generated, it [foam] can also be used as magnets for collecting debris in space. In addition, foam can be used as an element of electric motors or a source of magnetic coupling in power lines,” says the publication of the Federal Research Center KSC SB RAS.
Source: 3dnews.ru