Innovating approaches to the generation of intense magnetic fields : design and optimization of a 4 Tesla permanent magnet flux source

An original permanent magnet flux source is designed in order to generate a magnetic field of several Tesla. The magnet configuration and discretization of the structure are optimized with the help of numerical simulation software developed at LEG (DIPOLE-3D, FLUX2D & FLUX3D). The model of spheroidal flux source presented in the paper creates a field in excess of 4.3 T in a central volume of O 6 mm/spl times/h 2.8 mm with external diameter /spl ap/O100 mm. A prototype is in the final assembly stage, designed for X-ray dichroism experiments at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble.