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A sensitive optically detected magnetic compass for animals.

D T Edmonds
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Abstract

Recent experiments have indicated that at least one important magnetic compass used by many animals for navigation may be located in the eye. Here it is shown that a very sensitive magnetic compass is formed by the incorporation of a small quantity of ferrimagnetic single-domain crystals in a droplet of nematic liquid crystal. Optical detection of the compass output is illustrated by experiment and the predicted properties of a biological compass, based upon these principles, are compared with the known properties of the natural compass. Some experiments that could test the model are described.

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AnimalsMagneticsModels, BiologicalOptics and PhotonicsRetinaJournal Article

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D T Edmonds. 1996-03-22. A sensitive optically detected magnetic compass for animals.. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1996.0045

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