Laboratory studies of magnetic levitation in the thin track limit

Thermographic techniques and rotating wheel experiments are used to examine magnetic forces and dynamics of levitated models. Induced track current and magnetic pressure distributions for moving superconducting levitation coils are infered from laboratory tests on coils with sinusoidal currents. Magnetic search coils and liquid crystal and infrared thermography are used to determine current patterns in thin aluminum plates. Theoretical justification for these methods is given and shows that sinusoidally induced patterns are similar to motion induced current distributions in the high speed thin track limit. The dynamics of a freely magnetically levitating model on a "V" groove rotating thin track shows that stable motions are possible for the "V" track. These tests also show that drag coupled yaw-roll-lateral instabilities are possible for certain model geometries.