107k views
4 votes
The light blue wavefront is an activator species which is negatively charged. My question is whether a diffusing ionic wavefront is known to induce an electromagnetic field, and how one would calculate its order given the molarity or charge of the wavefront. Magnetic fields are already known to affect BZ waves, but my question is whether BZ waves can themselves produce magnetic fields.

Please let me know how I could improve this question.

Certainly, it would produce a detectable EM effect. Likely, an electrostatic effect could be detected with insulated probes immersed in the mix and a high-impedance (100 MΩ or higher) voltmeter. However, such a setup would be slow to respond, perhaps on the order of seconds, due to low capacitively-coupled current, high impedance, and inevitable circuit capacitance. Don't expect to detect fast transients.

However, detecting external electromagnetic effects might be quite difficult because of the very low amplitude and frequency. You might need to use a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). Most fundamental measurements in biomagnetism, even of extremely small signals, have been made using RF SQUIDS. While that would be way cool, it might be a bit out of budget in most labs. Perhaps there's a physiology lab nearby that might give time on their apparatus?

User Azra
by
8.1k points

1 Answer

6 votes

Final answer:

Diffusing ionic wavefronts might induce electromagnetic fields, but detecting their effects might be challenging due to their low amplitude and frequency. Utilizing insulated probes and a high-impedance voltmeter could potentially detect an electrostatic effect, albeit with a slow response time. Detecting external electromagnetic effects might require sensitive equipment like a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), commonly used in biomagnetism research due to its ability to detect extremely small signals, but this may exceed the budget of most laboratories.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question delves into the potential of diffusing ionic wavefronts to induce electromagnetic fields and the feasibility of detecting these effects. While theoretically, diffusing ionic wavefronts could induce electromagnetic fields, detecting their effects might pose challenges due to their low amplitude and frequency. An electrostatic effect might be detectable using insulated probes and a high-impedance voltmeter, but the setup's response time could be slow due to factors like low capacitively-coupled current and inevitable circuit capacitance.

The mention of using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) reflects the need for highly sensitive equipment to detect external electromagnetic effects, which might be beyond the budgetary constraints of most laboratories. SQUIDs are renowned for their ability to detect minuscule signals in biomagnetism research, highlighting their potential utility for this purpose. The suggestion to seek access to equipment in a nearby physiology lab demonstrates a pragmatic approach to overcome budgetary constraints in accessing specialized apparatus for such sensitive measurements.

Overall, the question explores the potential electromagnetic effects induced by diffusing ionic wavefronts and discusses the challenges and feasibility of detecting these effects using different experimental setups, emphasizing the need for specialized and sensitive equipment in the field of biomagnetism research

User Mike Petty
by
9.5k points