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MAGNETIC LEVITATION AS A LOW GRAVITY ENVIRONMENT.   J. Yowtak¹, A.N. Morgan¹, R.J. Ferl³, J.S. Brooks², A.-L. Paul³, and M.W. Meisel¹. ¹Dept. of Physics and NHMFL, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville; ²Dept. of Physics and NHMFL, Florida State Univ., Tallahasee; and ³Dept. of Hort. Sci. and Biotech. Program, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville.

Several means, such as parabolic flights, drop towers, and clinostats, have been used to produce earth-based hypogravity environments. Another method to achieve a milli-gravity (» 10^-3g; g = 9.8 m/s²) environment for extended periods of time is magnetic levitation of diamagnetic materials. Under these conditions, the net magnetic force on the levitated object balances the force of gravity the object experiences, resulting in a net force of zero. It is noteworthy that water and many organic materials are diamagnetic and, therefore, may be magnetically levitated. The simple physical explanation of this process will be described in order to communicate the potential of using this technique for a variety of pre-flight staging experiments. Specifically, transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants have been magnetically levitated using resistive magnets at the NHMFL to investigate the effects of this type of low-gravity environment on the transgene (Adh/GUS) expression (see abstract of Morgan, et al. ASGSB-CSA-ELGRA). The Adh/GUS transgene is sensitive to microgravity and other environmental stresses (see abstract of Ferl et al. ASGSB-CSA-ELGRA). In support of those investigations the magnetic susceptibilities of the various parts of the plant tissue have been measured and have been used to model the forces experienced by a levitated plant. A computer simulation provides a resultant force value of each element of the specimen, and, when summed together, these elements balance the gravitational pull to produce levitation. An estimate of the actual forces may be obtained and, depending on the physical size of the specimen, yield values on the order of milli-g or less. 

[Research supported, in part, by the NSF through the In-House Research and REU Programs of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL).]