Magnetoresistance in Composite Conductors

A recent paper recorded1 the authors’ participation in a study which hypothesized the existence of a Hall generation contribution to the apparent magnetoresistivity of an aluminum composite conductor. The present effort developes a more exact mathematical analysis of the Hall generation and compares the model’s predictions with experimental data unavailable at the time of earlier publication. The new model, being more rigorous, supports the hypothesis that Hall generation losses will contribute to the apparent magnetoresistivity whenever field and current interact to produce a nonuniform Hall voltage. Hall generation losses, then, could be expected in conductors in a variety of circumstances: in composites due to current maldistribution associated with dissimilar resistivities of the components, in composites due to dissimilar Hall coefficients of diff.erent materials such as copper and aluminum, and in homogeneous conductors due to current maldistribution during the transient diffusion of current. The present analysis shows improved comparison with the experimental data at 4.2K.