Research Symposium

BIO

Kaitlyn Allage in a second year biochemistry major while also minoring in mathematics, biology, and psychology. She is expected to graduate spring of 2028 with a Bachelor of Science degree. She has experience working in hospital and clinic centers, but has recently been a part of research occurring on the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory campus exploring visualization of refractive-index gradients arising from spatiotemporal variations in ion concentration and density under the application of a uniform magnetic field with the use of Schlieren-based techniques.
She was on the dean's list her first semester freshman year, been a part of the FSU's professional chemistry fraternity, and has served on the Unconquered Scholars Student Advisory Board for 2 years. In the future, she hopes to pursue more clinical-based research and eventually attend medical school to become a doctor.

Schlieren-Based Optical Visualization of Metal Ion Dynamics under Uniform Magnetic Fields

Abstract

Direct visualization of dissolved metal ion transport in liquid media is inherently challenging because ions lack optically resolvable structures. In this work, we developed an in-house Schlieren imaging system to experimentally investigate ion dynamics under externally applied uniform magnetic fields. Schlieren techniques provide non-invasive visualization of density gradient and refractive index, which, in isothermal dilute solutions, are proportional to concentration gradients through the refractive index increment 𝑑𝑛/𝑑𝐶. This enables indirect, time-resolved observation of ion redistribution in solution.
Experiments were conducted using a glass cuvette positioned between magnet poles to generate a nominally uniform magnetic field. Time-resolved Schlieren images were recorded before and after magnetic field application and processed using custom MATLAB routines to extract intensity variations and estimate concentration evolution. Distinct susceptibility-dependent transport behaviors were observed. Paramagnetic ions exhibited directed migration and preferential accumulation near the top and bottom edges of the magnet, indicating field-influenced redistribution. In contrast, diamagnetic ions moved away from the magnetic field region, demonstrating repulsive behavior and resulting in spatial redistribution toward regions outside the field-dominated zone. Under zero-field conditions, transport was governed primarily by diffusion and natural convection, producing comparatively weaker concentration gradients.
These findings demonstrate that Schlieren imaging provides a useful experimental platform for resolving magnetically influenced ion transport in liquids. The study establishes a quantitative framework for susceptibility-dependent ion dynamics and offers insight relevant to magnetic separation, magneto-fluidic control, and field- driven transport processes.

Keywords: Schlieren, magnetic field, imaging, paramagnetic ions, diamagnetic ions