Relating Brownian motion to diffusion with superparamagnetic colloids

An original experiment is introduced that allows students to relate the Brownian motion of a set of superparamagnetic colloidal particles to their macroscopic diffusion. An external and constant magnetic field is first applied to the colloidal suspension so that the particles self-organize into chains. When the magnetic field is removed, the particles then freely diffuse from their positions in the chain, starting from the same coordinate on the axis perpendicular to the initial chain. This configuration thus enables an observer to study the one dimensional diffusion process, while also observing the underlying Brownian motion of the microscopic particles. Moreover, by studying the evolution of the particle distribution, a measurement of the diffusion coefficient can be obtained. In addition, by repeating this measurement with fluids of various viscosities, the Stokes-Einstein relation may be illustrated.