Interesting observations about the possibility of diamagnetic 
roughness.  This brings up two observations:
1) By the current theories of magnetic flux lines as I understand them, 
there is no possibility for them to exhibit "kinks or roughness" at the 
scales and method of field generation we're discussing.  (The non-smooth 
examples I'm thinking of are of solar magnetic flux that also include 
ion current flow,  tokamaks, etc.)

2) So that leaves two possibilities in my mind:
     a) The magnetic field is undergoing slight changes in field 
strength with the actual counterpressure of the carbon being levitated.  
Hard to imagine with the relative strengths of the permanent magnets -- 
but still a possibility.  I've never heard of such a thing myself, but 
what do I know?  Maybe a PhD thesis here?
     b) The carbon diamagnetic properties exhibit a domain phenomenon in 
a similar vein to the ferromagnetic properties of iron.  Again, " I've 
never heard of such a thing, but what do I know?  Maybe a PhD thesis here?"

In a more blue sky way of reasoning, project the following thoughts:
1) Dr. Randall Peters has brought to this list the interesting concepts 
of mesoscale damping.  Part of what I take away from that concept is 
that as we burrow down in dimension, the concept of an amorphous solid 
with smooth mathematically described properties breaks down.  Just as 
ferrous magnetics were thought to be smooth, the discovery of Barkhausen 
noise was discovered early on to be the individual magnetic domains 
switching.  Diamagnetic properties come from electron properties of 
masses of atoms just as the ferrous magnetic properties do.  So, atoms 
can move within a "solid".  The most stable solids are crystalline in 
nature, where the atoms are locked in both space and orientation.    The 
big question, "Would a crystalline diamagnetic solid exhibit this 
magnetIc "roughness", perhaps equivalent to the Barkhausen noise?   The 
experiment to perform here is to use a Barkhausen test setup, but 
substitute carbon for iron.

Just a few idle thoughts for the morning.
Charles R. Patton


On 7/9/2012 9:34 AM, chrisatupw@....... wrote:
> From: Bob McClure bobmcclure90@......... 
> Sent: Mon, 9 Jul 2012 15:02
> Subject: Re: diamagnetic levitation seismometer possibility
> Hi Randall,
> I, too, have carried out diamagnetic levitation experiments similar to 
> those by Meredith Lamb. Although the large amplitude motion looks 
> smooth and frictionless, what I concluded for very small amplitudes, 
> such is not the case. The supporting magnetic field has small-scale 
> roughness, and the levitated graphite tends to hung up in the hills 
> and valleys of the resulting force.
>
> Hi Bob,
>     Did you ever try putting a transformer lamination on top of the 
> magnets to smooth out any field irregularities ?
>     Regards,
>     Chris Chapman



  
    
  
  
    
Interesting observations about the
      possibility of diamagnetic roughness.  This brings up two
      observations:

      1) By the current theories of magnetic flux lines as I understand
      them, there is no possibility for them to exhibit "kinks or
      roughness" at the scales and method of field generation we're
      discussing.  (The non-smooth examples I'm thinking of are of solar
      magnetic flux that also include ion current flow,  tokamaks, etc.)

      

      2) So that leaves two possibilities in my mind:

          a) The magnetic field is undergoing slight changes in field
      strength with the actual counterpressure of the carbon being
      levitated.  Hard to imagine with the relative strengths of the
      permanent magnets -- but still a possibility.  I've never heard of
      such a thing myself, but what do I know?  Maybe a PhD thesis here?

          b) The carbon diamagnetic properties exhibit a domain
      phenomenon in a similar vein to the ferromagnetic properties of
      iron.  Again, " I've never heard of such a thing, but what do I
      know?  Maybe a PhD thesis here?"  

      

      In a more blue sky way of reasoning, project the following
      thoughts:

      1) Dr. Randall Peters has brought to this list the interesting
      concepts of mesoscale damping.  Part of what I take away from that
      concept is that as we burrow down in dimension, the concept of an
      amorphous solid with smooth mathematically described properties
      breaks down.  Just as ferrous magnetics were thought to be smooth,
      the discovery of Barkhausen noise was discovered early on to be
      the individual magnetic domains switching.  Diamagnetic 
      properties come from electron properties of masses of atoms just
      as the ferrous magnetic properties do.  So, atoms can move within
      a "solid".  The most stable solids are crystalline in nature,
      where the atoms are locked in both space and orientation.    The
      big question, "Would a crystalline diamagnetic solid exhibit this
      magnetIc "roughness", perhaps equivalent to the Barkhausen noise? 
        The experiment to perform here is to use a Barkhausen test
      setup, but substitute carbon for iron.      

      

      Just a few idle thoughts for the morning.

      Charles R. Patton

       

      

      On 7/9/2012 9:34 AM, chrisatupw@....... wrote:

    
    

        
From: Bob McClure bobmcclure90@.........

          Sent: Mon, 9 Jul 2012 15:02

          Subject: Re: diamagnetic levitation seismometer possibility

        
        

          

            
                
Hi Randall,
                
 
                
I, too, have carried out diamagnetic levitation
                  experiments similar to those by Meredith Lamb.
                  Although the large amplitude motion looks smooth and
                  frictionless, what I concluded for very small
                  amplitudes, such is not the case. The supporting
                  magnetic field has small-scale roughness, and the
                  levitated graphite tends to hung up in the hills and
                  valleys of the resulting force. 
                


                  Hi Bob, 
                
 
                
    Did you ever try putting a
                    transformer lamination on top of the magnets to
                    smooth out any field irregularities ? 
                
    Regards, 
                
    Chris Chapman