Periodic structure of acicular magnetic clusters in a magnetic liquid

The behavior of magnetic clusters in a magnetic liquid placed in a circular capillary is considered. When a uniform magnetic field is applied to the system, acicular clusters grow from the sediment, being aligned with the field. The interaction of the clusters as magnetic dipoles with one another and with an external gradient magnetic field is considered theoretically. In a nonuniform symmetric magnetic field with a peak, the cluster distribution is uniform near the peak. Such a distribution is fairly stable when the magnetic field gradient is varied over certain limits. The ordered (periodic) cluster configuration is realized experimentally, and it is shown that its period can be controlled. As the magnetic field gradient exceeds a certain threshold, the clusters are redistributed, forming a multirow hexagonal array.