The surface tension of water under high magnetic fields

The surface tension of water-air interface was measured by means of a surface-wave resonance method under magnetic field up to 10 T. It was found that the surface tension increased linearly with an increase in the square of the magnetic field. The surface tension increased by 1.32 +/- 0.13 mN/m or 1.83 +/- 0.18% at 10 T. One possible explanation for this is that the stabilization of hydrogen bonds increases the bulk Helmholtz free energy, which thereby increases the surface tension. Another explanation is that the Lorentz force dampens the surface excitation of ripplons, decreases the surface pressure at the surface, and thereby increases the surface tension. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.