The elasticity of magnetic chains: From self-buckling to self-assembly

Spherical neodymium magnets have become a popular toy in recent years. In this talk, we present the results of some experimental and theoretical investigations into the peculiar elastic-like behaviour exhibited by chains of these magnetic spheres. We show how the dipole-dipole interactions between spheres penalise deformation, and we find that the form of this penalty is different for a long chain compared to a short chain. Finally, we investigate the dynamic self-assembly of these chains into cylindrical structures.