Magnetic acceleration and deceleration of O/sub 2/ gas streams injected into air

The study of "magnetoaerodynamics" is important to control airflows. The magnetically induced change in the velocity of O/sub 2/ gas streams injected into air was quantitatively studied. Whether O/sub 2/ gas flow was magnetically accelerated or decelerated was found to depend on the sign of the magnetic field gradient applied at the O/sub 2/ outlet. The magnetically induced change in the velocity /spl Delta//spl nu/=|/spl nu//sub H/-/spl nu//sub 0/| was found to increase by increasing the product of the magnetic intensity and its gradient, H*(dH/dy), and lowering the velocity without the fields, /spl nu//sub 0/. The dynamics of this magnetically induced gas flow was explained by considering the magnetic force acting on the paramagnetic oxygen gas. The calculation shows the most efficient acceleration to occur when /spl nu//sub 0/=0 cm/s. The result of the present study suggests the possibility of magnetic control of gas streams containing O/sub 2/ gas. The necessary conditions are the gradient of the O/sub 2/-gas concentration, the low-velocity without fields, /spl nu//sub 0/, and high quantity of H*(dH/dy).<>