Gas diffusion pyrolytic graphite

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Personal first, gas diffusion PG levitation; with 3 layers of 4 magnets each layer.  The disc is UCLA PG disc of about 0.1" thick.  The original used only 4 magnets; here the layers of magnets were built up to photographically accentuate the levitation spacing between the magnets and the disc itself.  The round disc PG was removed from a original levitation stand, that was sold by Martin Simon of UCLA for a number of years, but is no longer being made.
1/17/2000

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The above two photos are of scrap pieces of gas diffusion PG levitating over magnet assemblys.  Note the preference of the pointed ends of the pieces to align themselves directly above the magnet joints.  If one was to try to move them around physically, they would simply rotate into alignment with the magnet joints again.

On this variation of levitation, David Lamb pursued a great number of possible setups, including the introduction of added magnets atop this and other similar magnets; however the results were not encouraging for long period oscillations.  It is a short period version seismometer variation due solely to the tight magnet/s grouping setup itself.  One could add dampening aluminum or copper, both over or under the levitating PG itself and a optical flag with light and various sensors for a output.  In a sense, this could also be construed as a potential strong motion variety of seismometer, as it can sustain levitation placement moderately well from some environmental shaking.

One important note on the magnets used above, they are all very strong magnets; and unfortunately they are also not currently available commercially.

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